










.4 




TH' BUR; >• . VI'- ION, 1862-1942 




V s 

i.enrv . v Beera 






Tho ^ationnl Archivea 
nohin -ton, £>.C, 










































f.K.nt. /fff?' - f r ^ 


coirmura 




Office of Detail 

Bureau of navigation 2 

Naval Observatory and Hydrographic Office a 

Nautical Almanac Office 5 

United tates Bevel cademy 5 

Naval Apprentice system 6 

Bureau of navigation and Office of Detail 9 

Chief * i;,nal Office 13 

Office of Superintendent of Compasses 13 

ffice of hRval intelligence 14 

Library and Naval ar ©cords Office 14 

Navel ar College 15 

Naval Inspector of lectric Li^htin^ 18 

iteor animation of 1889 18 

Naval Home £1 

Spanish ar £2 

Coast Signal Service 22 

Naval Auxiliary service P3 

Naval ar Boapd 26 

General Board 26 

Inspector of Target practice 27 

Naval Training Stations 28 

Naval T>istrict* 3H 

Inspector of n^ineerinfc Competitions 35a 

Division of ersonnel 33 

Naval aviation 35 

Naval Badio service 37 

Division of Naval Militia Affairs 39 

Naval Reserve 41 

Naval Heaerve Officers’ .‘raining Corps 43 

Office of the Chief of Naval operations 42 

jy Navy obligation service 45 

Training Division 47 

Chaplains Division 48. 

Demobilization 49 

Sixth Division 50 

Aviation Division 51 

Navy motion icture xchan^e 52 

4ail and File Division 53 

Naval Training stations S3 


L 

it- 

V 


t 






THL 3 ’ 1 i; }f :■ v ;• Ji t 1 - 52-1942 




act of Congress approved "My 13, 1942 changed the name of the 
Bureau of invitation to Bureau of eraonnel. 'Tie ol designation had 

baen a misnomer for army years, practically since the stnblish ont of the 
Bureau, it hid been eat bliahed originally aa the scientific bureau of the 
fury ifcp e rtasnt, but its ork bar come largely to deal ith naval ersonnel. 
Finally -hen the hydrographic Office and the TJ. . Naval Observatory were 
transferred to the office of the 0hi<2f of Naval operations on ;>ril 8, 1942, 
only peraonnel matter© »are left. These matters had become increasingly 
voluminous durin*, the 1920*a ns « result of the expansion of the Nary. From 
40b ve:?~ela and an authorized enlisted ersonnel of 79,700 in 1925 the :&vy 
Increased to 907 Teasels and nearly a quarter of « million enlisted men in 
1941. Upon the outbreak of the war on December 7, 1941 the building up of 
the t<>o ocean i<avy was nccf*lore ted. The Bureau of fcteval 'ersonnol can no* 
derot© its undiTided attention to the personnel »ork of the linvy Department. 

Office of Detail 

Loon after becoming Secretary of the iiavy on *rch 7, 1861 in the 
cabinet formed by resident Lincoln, Gideon elles gate his attention to the 
Or^nizn.tion of the Navy Department. The Confederate a tea of America had 
been formed t tont^oncry, Alabama in the receding month, nnd ^ar seemed to 
be close at hand. Until this time the det^llin^ of officers had been performed 


1 In 1908 the Chief of the Bureau of Navigation recommended chan^in^ the 
name of the Bureau to "Bureau of personnel and the Fleet", while in 1920 the 
. ecretary of the Wavy recommended that the name be changed to "Bureau of 
Personnel". 

2 Federal ce t g«ter, VII, No. 71, 5705, Executive order ho. 9126. 





by the secretary * 3 Office, but ellea now ordered Coaraodore lias H* Stringham 
to report to his office to undertake this duty.* hen asr onme, Strln^ham 
23 detached 2 nd an Office of Detail as foraad under Commodore Mi ran “ulding, 
the other members be in- Qoennnders Charles II. Davis and Maxwell oodhull. 
auldin^ had been in the Navy for fifty years, and boonuse of his age ^avia 
came to do most of the work of the office.^ Xt handled also the appointment 
and instruction of volunteer officers, the purchasing of ships, and related 

V 

natters. 

Bureau of Navigation 

Upon the recommendation of secretary of the Navy Gideon elles in re¬ 
ports of July 4 and December 2, 1861 a reorganization of the Navy Department 
*aa effect d in 186?. Among the eight bure us authorized by the act of July 5, 
1B62 ; .*aa the ne . Bureau of Navigation. Under the authority of this act Jecre- 
tar elles by order of August 151, 1868 placed under this Bureau the Naval 
Observatory and Kydrogrphicnl Office and the Nautical /Imnnao office, which 
had previously functioned under the Bureau of Ordnance nnd l hydrography, there¬ 
after known as the Bureau of Ordnance.^ Charles H. avis, *ho had b< en largely 
responsible for the creation of the Bureau, became its permanent Chief on 
..ovembor IS, 1862. The Bureau had been organized by Cnpt. James M. Oillins, 
hr-ad of the Naval Observatory. Davis served until April 27, 1>66, becoming 
then the superintendent of the Naval observatory. 1 2 * 4 The other chiefs of 


1 Charles 0. Paullln, "A Half Century of Naval tdainistraMon in America, 
1861-1911." l. •.. Naval Inst, Mroc., A3UYXII (Dec. 1912), 1319. 

2 Charles H. avia, life of uharles Henry Pavla. tear Admiral, 18Q7-1 a7” 
(Boston, he* York, 189917 U6ff. 

Z, ~ jOC • cit*, d VIII (Loc. 1912), 1380-21. The other bureaus established by 
the net of 1062 wore: Bureau of Yards and docks. Bureau of juipment and '-.e- 
cruiting, BUW»«tt of ordnance. Bureau of Construction and Repair, Ourecu of 
.>team . n^neerin^. Bureau oi revisions and Clothing, «md the Bureau of 
edieine and Burgery. 

4 Davis as selected for this position because of his lon^ experience in the 
scientific work of the Navy Department as head of the Nautical 1: nac office 
and because, bein t> of a scholarly nature, ht vao better suited for this type 
of employment then for an active oosuanti such as he had had in charge of the 
estern Flotilla on the «4issiosli i before hens a recalled to eshin^ton. 

Cf. Gidean elles, Diary of ^ideou elles, secretary of the Navy under Lincoln 
and Johnson (Boston, N. Y., 1911, 3 vole). 1, lt’B. 








3 


the Bureau during the 1660’s s^nd 1870'a mere: 

i'ercival Bra ton, April 88, 1865 - August 4, 1865 
David Dixon tar, August 8, 1865 - August 24, 1885 
Thornton Alexander Jenkins, August 24, 1865 - Ai'ril 11, 1069 
Jnm» Alden, April IS, 1869 - September 30, 1871 
Daniel Amen, October 1, 1071 - June 4 , 1878 
llliam Dmnforth * til ting, June 11, 1078 - October 13, 1081 

fcaval observatory end Hydrographical Office 
The iSeval Observatory and Hydrographical Office originated in the Depot 
of chart and Instmaeote ich was tfstablished b order of the Decretory of 
the Davy of December 6, 1830. The Depot was attached to the Bureau of 
ordnance and ydrogrnphy «» its Hydrographic branch in 1843 upon the organiza¬ 
tion of the bureau system of administration in the Navy Department. From 
oceaber 1854 to August 1, 1866 thie institution mn designated as the United 
:tateo Naval observe tor;* end hydrographical Of rice, *t the latter d<te a 
Jivision of the work occurred, pursuant to an act of Congress of June £1, 1866, 
resulting in the formation of a Hydrographic Office end of a Haval Observatory, 
both of hich continued as ecnrate offices under the Bureau of Navigation.® 

The Naval Observatory and ihydrographical Office had encased in both 
hydrographical and astronomical work, but Either; Jf. Baury, who heeded the 
office from 1844 until 1861, had been principally concerned vvith the hydro¬ 
graphy. His lad and Current Cherts of the oceans of the orld, which were 
based upon numerous logs of naval vessels and merchants ships, were an extremely 
important contribution to the science of navigation. illiaa upon succeeding 
nur; in 1861 restored astronomy to the primary position in the office. Davis 
favored the separation of the hydrographic work from the office and succeeded 
in accomplishing this. The divided offices were able to expand their work. 


1 nistevus A. eber, The K*tb1 Observatory; Its History, Activities and 

- r L ,aoi7.«.tlon (Baltimore, 1936), 10. Lloyd 3T Oh or*, The Develo: n nt of .vatlonal 
-•■■■! ia inistrative Oraanlgafcion in the nl '.cd .tatea (Baltimore, 1923), 500. 

2 Guatavua a, eber. The Hydrographic Office; Its History, Activities and 
rpmizatlon (Baltimore, 1936), 26-27; Davis, op . clt ., 284. 











The Naval Observatory retained the astronomical functions. Including 
the rating of chronometers and the car© of navigational and surveying instru¬ 
ments. The sending out of time sisals, which had begun in 186S, was extended 
by the eatern Union to all cities of over 20,000 population. In 1073 the 
Observatory obtained th< Largest refractor in the world, an in 1893 the new 
observ tory in nshington *aa occupied. 

The Hydrographic Office ns charged with the duties of providing the 
iiavy and the merchant marine with nautical charts, aailin directions, and 
.navigator's manuals. It bagen publishing in 1867 the "Bydrographie Notices" 
and in I860 the '’Notices to Mariners, H which acre later consolidated under 
the latter title, in 1? ! 83 it be . n Issuing pilot charts. In order to 
procure the information for these publications, surveys and expeditions were 
conducted in all parts of the *orld.* Previously the ■ nlted states had 
been dependent on foreign sources, chiefly the British Admiralty, for such 
publications. The heed of the office bncnme the Hydrographer to the Bureau 
of Navigation in 1871 in an order sh ich reorganised the office into five 
sections. 1 2 The ractice of « lieiting aeterolObical data from merchant 
ships >as resujaed in 1873, and ms. editions of charts vere repared. In 
1904, however, the duty of collecting marine neterological re; rt® was trans¬ 
ferred to the eather Bureau, which thereefter supplied the ! ydrogruphic 
Uffice sith data for publication in ilot charts. Ihe better distribution 
of the publications of the Hydrographic Office «aa provided for in 1804 by 
the establishment of a number of branch hydrographic offices in principal porta 

1 U. Hydrographic Office, surveys by the Hydrographic Office, Navy De¬ 
partment, from the - urve., of Ucor^ca Bank snu ., honl by ^i-.ut. fh- ri©s ilkas, 

L. ■>. N., in 16T7, to July 1, 1924, with a lirit f History of ..'.evert I of the 

,-qrfTor surveying .xpeditlons. (.Washington, 1924), (Also published In the 
annual report of the Burt.au of Navigation, 1924). 

2 eber, Hydrographic office , 28. 











5 


Nautical Alsiannc office 

The Nautical 41 ^anac Office was established in Carabridt,© Massa¬ 
chusetts in July 1849 to undertake the preparation of the American Lphemerla 
and B-.utlc*! .M-rurac under the supervision of Lieut, Charles K. Davis, for 
>.fc ;ch an appropriation was mr\e by act of rch 3, 1849, The creation of 
this office as the result of the efforts of Lieutenant Davis, who from his 
ark on the Coast Survey in the receding seven years realised the need for 
a national ephemerls, and the sup ort given him by Prof* A, : , Bach©, super¬ 
intendent of the Coast survey, Joseph Nenp , .Secretary of the mithaoninn 
Institution; end '-Satthew F, feury, Superintendent of the Naval Observatory.* 
The H iutioal Al innac Office was originally located sit Caabrll^o because of 
the scientific and library advantage Afforded by nrvnrd University, 't 
reported directly to the Decretory of the Nevv until 1859 when it was placed 
un er the Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography,® In 1866, four tars after 
it -aa nttached to the Bureau of Navigation, it moved to eaftington. By 
order of the Secretary of the Navy of Le tc*aber 20, 1894 the Office became 
a branch of the Navssl Oboervntory.* 5 

United States Naval Academy 

The United States Bevel Academy, which lmd been established as the 
Naval cho 1 at nnnpolis, Jtarylend in 1845 through the efforts of Secretary 
of the Navy George Bancroft, was placed under the Jurisdiction of the Bureau 
of Navigation at the time of ito creation. In 1850 the name of the institu¬ 
tion had been changed to United States Nf»val Academy, and it %as placed under 


1 Davis, op . ait., 86ff» 

2 eber, Laval wbaervatary , 26; U. a. Superintendent of Documents, Checklist 
of United states i ublic Documents, 1789-1909 (.ashington, 1911), 7G4. 

3 U. 3. Navy Department, Annual ioport , 1894, 30-31; 1895, 110; eber, 

Naval observatory , 28. 












6 


the Bureau of Ordnance and hydrography. During the ar of the Rebellion it 
r ? aa located at Newport, ... I. On 4arch 1, 1067 the Naval Acadeaiy was placed 
under the supervision of the .secretary of the ffcvy, but its administrative 
routine and financial management was conducted by the Bureau of Navigation 
until March 11, 1869 when all connections ceased.* In 1889 the Naval Academy 
was again placed under the Bureau of Navigation, in accordance with the plan 
of the Navy Do artment to eharge tfcr t bureau with the supervision of training 
and education in the Navy. 

Naval Ap prentice .system 

The Naval apprentice system revived in 1864 by iiecretary ell as under 
the authority of the act of larch S, 1837, according to which apprentices 
had been enlisted in 1B37 and 1855, was the first personnel matter to be placed 
In charge of the Bureau of Navigation.^ The object mu to auppl the Navy \;ith 
diaci lined and better Instructed se-mon *nd to free it of its dependence upon 
the mercantile marine. By 1867 the >.bine . the Portsmouth , and the j • retogs , 
old sailing vesnals, were in commission os apprentice ships. Following' the 
raosa u e of the act of June 17, I860, which iraited the number of enlisted men 
and apprentices to 8500, it was necessary to reduce the number of apprentices 
to the capacity of one ship, the Nsratoga . bot of the apprentices were lads 

■who hoped to pass the examinations which were to be given them for admission 
to the Naval ‘cadasjy. Tfcr annual examination for the admission of ten boys out 
of about 500 doomed most of them to disappointment, nnd desertions followed 
in large numbers.^ Failure of the system was the result. 

1 V."N. Jupt 7 of Document*, ojn clt ., 770; James H. Aoley, latoric. I sketch 

o f the Ini ted .,taUs Naval --.cador, ( ashington, 1876), 111. 

£ -v. . Johnson, .v Brief iitory of the organization of the Navy Department 
(Washington, 1935), 38; l. o. it -vy Department, Annual Report , 1-.--66, 138; 
vnron ard, "Naval apprentices," United ^ervied .Ill (pec. 1880), 740. 

5 U. 3. Navy Department, .nnual import . 1869, 52; 1870, 117; 1871, 117, 















• ... ■ ■ 







v. -• ;■ V •... . v ■ B " ‘ 

■ 




. • ' 




v ,. ' •. , ■ 















... . -X •* 

.ix: . 

« • ■ 










7 


During the ears following the Civil ar the Bavy sank to lo* depths, 
both in ships < nd ersonnel. The ships were largely those loft over from 

a bygone era, and no provision was made by Congress for replacing them with 

< 

modern steel ships until 1 82. The service was unattractive, particularly 
in those days shea the eat was under exploitation. The crews of our naval 
vessels were more largely foreigners than Americans, This situation became 
a matter of concern to officers like Captain tephen 33. Luos, who advocated 
the establishment of n tr inin^ system as a means of providing seamen for 
both the Bevy an the merchant marine.* 

An apprentice training system was set up pursuant to n ftavy Depart¬ 
ment circular of April 8, 1875, providing, according to the act of March 2, 
1837, for the enlistment of boys between sixteen and eighteen years of ng© 
for service until they reached twenty-one. The training was designed merely 
4;o fit the boys to be sailors, so the mistake of glvin them all hopes ct be¬ 
coming officers was avoided, supervision of the apprentice system was placed 
under the Bureau of &>uipsiant and Hecruitin to , which had had charge since its 
creation of the enlistment of men for the hairy. Hie a prentices received 
their first instruction on training ships stationed at some of the large 
AtlltttlQ Coast porta: the :inneaota at Hew ''ork, the Constitution at 
Philadelphia, the kmongahela at Baltimore, and the Pnratoga at Norfolk./ 
Tmlnlttg cruises were made on the practice ships. hen the boys were trans¬ 
ferred to cruising vessels of the Kavy, favo >ble reports were received from 


1 dbert leaves, Life ami let tors of Hear Admiral Stephen B. Luce, U. 3. fravy 
(hew York, 1925), 134ff; t. i>. ftnvy Department, Annual • ort, 1875, 18. 

2 U. 3. hfivy Depart aent, Annual Report , 1876, 108, 11; 1877, 122-124; 1878, 
51-62; Cleaves, oj£. cit ., 146ff; Stephen 3. luce, "United States Training 
Chips," United service , X (July, 1879), 4-5-425. 











8 


officers concerning thorn. On My 12, 1879, when there were 945 boya serving 
aa apprentices, an act of Congress was approved outhorizin^ the annual en¬ 
listment of 750 boya between the ages of fitaen and eighteen years, to a©rve 
until twenty-one.* lamed l'‘te measures were t'iken for their recruitment. 

The first naval training st tion fbr the apprentices mo established 
on Coaster’s harbor Island, Heirport, ft. I. in 1808. Thia island had been 
ceded by the state of Hhode Island to the United states on search 2, 18°1 for 
uee as a training station. 1 2 * 4 5 It became the headquarters that year of the 
Apprentice Training Jqundron, which had been established under the com and 
of Commodore :te hen B. Luce .^ On June 4, 1888 the naval training station 
was pcrionnently established there, and ith the training ships it ns under 
the supervision of tho Burenu of Eqtti ment and Tlaoruiting.^ Upon the found¬ 
ing of the ti&vel er College on the island in 1884 the headquarters of the 
training system, a stone building which had formerly been the asylum for 
the poor of Newport, was transferred to that institution. Coaster’s Harbor 
Island, however, continued to be the home at tion of the training sfervtbe, 
which housed itself in ships and on the Island in the ri^in^ loft ; in tents, 
anc^ in the ar College buildln^. & In 1889 the :« val nr College was con¬ 
solidated tith the Torpedo Ltntlon on Goat Isla nd, nakin u the Naval Training 
station the sole occupant of Coaster’s Harbor Island.^ 


1 The act of Feb. 28 , 18 1 changed the "fifteen” in the act of 1879 to 
"fourteen.*’ 

2 U. 5. Bureau of Yards nnd Docks, Federal umed fte-.l Estate under the 
Control of the Navy Department ( ashington, 1927), 222. 

2 Cleaves, op . cit ., 157-150. During the four preceding ears Luco bed had 
command of the Minnesota. 

4 24. 5. Thoapson, Gene r al Orders .nd Circulars Issued by the Navy Depart¬ 
ment from 1862 to 1ft 7 ( ashington, 18 7), 222. 

5 Stephen 8. Luce, "U. 5 . Navel nr College, " li. J. Laval Inst. ?roc., XXXVI 
(June 1910), 574. 

6 Luce, loc. cit ., 566; Navy Paper taunt ^ noral Order , ho. 865, January 11, 
18 B9. 










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r 


9 


As a part of the reorganisation of the Mevy Department effected by 
Navy Department General Order ho. 572 of June 25, 1889, the naval apprentice 
system was transferred to the super? i aion of the Bureau of Navigation. It 
continued t bo operated along the same lines, 1 2 3 4 Another tmining station 
for apprentice* was established on the ucific Coast on '/orbs Buena Island, 
Francisco on rch 25, 1899.^ In conjunction with the training of lands¬ 
men instituted after the ar ith 3p«in the naval a prentice system ma 
successful in reducing the number of foreign seamen in the Navy to a small 
percentage, 

Ihe Bureau of Navigation and Office of Detail 
The administration of the arsonnol matters of the Nary long rem-lned 

in the hands of the Secretary. 5 lio provision was made even et the time of 
the organization of the bureau system in 1842 for handling matters pertaining 
to personnel. The burden ;hich this placed upon the Ceeretaries of the avy 
led some of them to reeoorend the establishment of a Bureau of Personnel.* 
Following the pea age of the act of July 5, 1P62, Secretary ©lies transferred 
duties connected ith enlisted personnel from the Secretary’s Office to the 
bureau of equipment and Recruiting, 5 Thereafter certain matters of a per¬ 
sonnel nature came to be assigned to the Bureau of Navigation, 

The moat important duties of a personnel n ture assigned to the Bureau 
were those relating to officers, Th e Office of Detail was placed under the 
Chief of the Bureau of Navigation on pril £8, I860. 6 This resulted in the 


1 For an account of the system, towards its close see James H, Reid, "A Naval 
Training Policy and yateea.* V• o, D-:va.l Inst, -roc., XXIX (larch, 1903), 13-14 

2 U, a. Davy Department, Annual <epo~t , 1898, I, 328; 1899, 405, 458. 

3 P. ii, Leigh, ‘’Neval Personnel, " U, :>♦ haval Inst, ‘roc,, LV (Oct, 1929), 855 

4 U. S. Navy Department, annual •■«.:• port , 1851, 16 (cilUaa A. Graham); 1853, 

319 (James C, Dobbin), 

5 Johnson, clt,, u£, 

6 Psullin, loc. cit., XXXIX (June, 1913), 736;XXXVIII (Dec., 1912), 1319. 












i 


10 


use of the deal^nation, Bureau of igction and Office of Detail, there¬ 
after* Up until this timethe important function of issuing orders to 
officers had been performed directly by the Secretaries or the Ksvy, but 
the Chief of the Bureau of Navigation mr* began to sign routine orders 
to naval officers.* By or er of the Secretary of June 26, 1869 the Bureau 
of Navigation was given authority to issue orders to staff officers as 
well as to line officers/ 

The poe-r of the Bureau of Navigation was further au^raentod b assign¬ 
ing to It control over the movements of nnv^l vessels. This function had 
been exercised by the secretary in connection with the issuance of orders 
to officers. From the Office of Detail, which had limited authority over the 
movements of vessels, this duty passed to the Bureau of Navigation, sec¬ 
retary of the Navy illlam H, Hunt directed on November 23, 1881, that 
commandants of navy yards, commanders of squadrons, and coaraanding officers 
of ships were to send ell reports, letters, and telegrams relating to the 
movements of vessels to the Bureau of Navigation and Office of Detail, the 
Chief of which was to keep records of their position and destination and to 
prepare orders and instructions for the signature bf the Secretary.*" 

A change in the administration of the Navy Department, however, re¬ 
sulted in the Bureau of Navigation’s bein^ shorn temporarily of its powers 

1 "The Bureau of NiVigatlon, Office of Detail, and Office of Naval Jntelli- 
?nce, f ' United Jervlce , XIII (Dec. 18 5), 645; Bureau of Navigation, Letters 

Deceived, ^avy Department, idocn elles to T • A. Jenkins, August 31, 1865. 
(The National Archives). The orders to officer© were issued "By direction of 
the Decretory of the Navy.” 

2 Bureau of Navigation, letters ec civad, Nrvy Department, 'eor^e dobeson 
to James Alden, June 26, 1869. 

3 Thompson, o&. cit., 203. General Order No. 278. 






- 


e 


11 


touching the det .11 of officer® and the control of ship movements. Against 
aorwr encumbents of the position of head of this Bureau, the charge saa made 
that they favored their friends in the service in making as. i^nmenta. After 
serving for o year as the ^crotary of the Navy, illinra K. Chandler deter¬ 
mined to return the duty of issuing orders to officers to the Secretary’s 
Office. hen the chief of the Bureau of Navigation, then John G. alker, 
refused to comply *ith a request to draft n modification of General Order 
go. 27B, 1 2 3 Chandler Issued General Order ho. 309 on October lo, 1883, *bich 
directed that "All co ;mnlent ions to the Navy Department from officers of 
the Navy, excepting only such as related strictly to the specific duties of 
the various Bureaus, as defined in General Order No. 293, dated arch 30, 1882, 
ill be addressed to the Secretary of the Davy." General Order <*o. 27Q * as 
stated to be rescinded. By a further order of October 1, 1804 Chandler re¬ 
turned the Office of Detail to the secretary’s Office.' It remained there 
but a short time, for on lay 22, 1885* noon ffcer entering upon the position 
of secretary of the Navy, iIlium 0. diitney restored it to tue Bureau of 
Navigation.~ lie announced nt the same time that the Board of Detail created 
by Chandler to advise the Secretary cone mints the detail of nnval officers 
would be continued. 

It »n -i charged that this order placed the Chief of the Bureau of Navi- 
ntion in virtu-.1 com and of the Navy, which was a violation of our republican 
principle** of government, according to which this authority was to be exercised 


1 "The Bureau of Navigation, office of Detail, and Office of Naval Intelligence,* 
1 * 1 *ted ervlce , XIiI (Dec. 18B5), 647. 

2 fhompaon, op . cit .. 235. General order hg. 322. This order revoked the 
orders of the Department to the Bureau of Navigation of August 31, 1865 and 
June 26, 1869, attaching the Office of Detail to that Bureau. 

3 Ibid .. 260. General Ord^r ho. 337. 






' 


It 


by the civilian heart of the iiavy Department.* hitney, nevertheless, re¬ 
appointed rlker as ohief of the Bureau of ttavigntlon, a position which he 
hold altogether from October 22, 1001 to October 31, 1089, n longer period 
than any other officer has ever occupied it. He has been characterised as 
one of the ablest nnainiatr^tora ad executives the Department has ever had.® 
Concerning the movements of ships, 0^ Heyy .ieguI rat ions of 1893 

prescribed as follows: 

"All orders {governing the movements of vessels, other than 
those issued by officers exercising command afloat or at shore 
stations, within the limits of their respective commands, will 
be signed by tfe* Decretory ^nd recorded in this bu’ vigntionj/” 

trough its direction of the oor.i iasioned personnel of the Navy, the 
movements of shi s, the Naval nr College, nnd the Office of Kraval Intelli¬ 
gence, the Bureau of Navigation became the most powerful bureau in the Navy 
Department. To a large degree it had charge of the military affairs of the 
N» vy. The forceful personalities of Captain John -rimes alker *?nd He r 
Admiral Francis s&inroe -'htasay, who served fro* November 1, 1889 to April 5, 
1897, contributed greatly to this end. An sslstnnt Chief for tha Bureau 
«raa authorized in 1893. By direction of the resident of 1902 the chief of 
the Bureau of Navigation was to function as Acting Secretary of the Davy in 
the event thnt both the .Secretory end the . u*i3t nt Secretary became aick.^ 


1 ’’The Bureau of Navigation, office of Detail, and Office of Kav*?l Intelli¬ 
gence," J^nU^^jgervdcej^ XIX L (Dec. 1883), 648-649. 

2 Albert Heaves, Life and Letters of 'ear Admiral .jfcephen 3. luce (Dew York, 
1926), 172-173. 

3 Office of the Secretary of the Davy, General files, Bo. 12753-2. This 
order v?»s issued under action 179 of the Revised Jtatutes. It was renewed 
from time to time. Cf. other aubnumfcers under file 12753. 
















IS 


Chief ittgnal Office 

In 1869 the Chief Signal Office was organized end attached to the 
Bureau of harlot ion for the purpose of preparing signal books end codes end 
giving instruction in 3i£nallin„.* The array method of signalling, which had 
proved successful during the Civil nr, was introduced into the ftavy with the 
assistance of Bribedler General A. J. Myer, Chief signal Officer of the Amy, 
who had devised the system. Youn 0 naval officers were trrined by aray signal 
instructors and introduced instruction and practice on board ships of *er. 

A signal book was prepared for the use of the Navy , and on official American 
edition of the International Olgrml Code, which had been originally prepared 
and published in nglnnd, was brought out for the U 80 of the Kavy and merchant 
vessels. lo^eriiaBnts were carried on to develop methods of signalling for both 
day and ni to ht. The Very pistol, an invention of Lieut. Edward . Very, U.3.N., 
a method of night-signalling b aeons of firing colored stars from a pistol, 
was introduced in 1877. 

Office of Superintendent of Compasses 

rof. B. ?. Greene, t‘. 3. H., report d for duty in the Bureau of Navigation 
as Superintendent of Compasses on Mrch 28, 1875 by direction of the Secretary 
of the Nnvy.^ o was charged vrith the inspection and improvement of con eases. 

In that .ear Greene arranged for the erection of a compose observatory at 
Brookline, tfaesachuaetto on the grounds of iasara. U to hies, who were on y.gad 
in the manufacture of liquid coipasnea for the Mry f in orier that they could 
be properly adjusted and inspected before ‘icceptanee. Tills office also inspected 
compasses at storehouses in navy yards. It conducted experiments connected with 
v netic effect of iron ships upon the qualities of compasses. This office 


1 V. 3. Navy Department, Annual .-sport, 1869, 52 

2 Ibid-, 1875, 80. 









14 


/ 


transferred In 1889 to the Bureau of Equipment. on January 19, 1906 It 
wae placed under the Naval Observatory, which supplied all other navigational 
instruments to ships, and which had ample accommodations and facilities.^ 

Office of Havel Intelligence 

In 1669 the Oocretary directed the Bureau of Navigation to collect 

V) 

information about foreign navies and other mattera of interest to the Navy.*" 
This led eventually to the establishment in 1882 of the office of Naval 
Intelligence undor the Bureau of Navigation. 1 2 3 4 Its first heed «me ieut. T.B.vi. 
m*on who was largely responsible for its creation.* By the seme order the 
department library was placed under this Office in order to facilitate its 
*ork. From the year of its establishment the Office of Naval Intelligence 
has maintained nsvnl attaches in foreign capitals. In 1990 the Office sms 
transferred to the reestablished office of the m.-aat*r>t Jecretary of the Kavy, 
It »go returned by an order of the wserstary of April 26, 1893 to the Bureau 
of Navigation In which it remained until detached by order of November 18, 

1909 when it was assigned to the id for Operations. Hie Office of Havel 
intelligence <ms first provided for by la* in the appropriation act of Feb¬ 
ruary 84, 1899. 


# Library and Naval nr Records Office 

The librarian appointed in 1882 undertook in addition to the main¬ 
tenance of the library of the Department the arrangement of the manuscript re¬ 
cords of the nion *nd Confederate N vies in the nr of the Rebellion, \fter 


1 Ibid .. 1904, 884-S85J 1906, 387. 

£ Johnson, oo. clt ., 39-40. 

3 By Navy Department General Order Ho. 292 of torch 83, 1882. 

4 -Ibcrt t. ttiblack, fhe ..iatory und .1m of the Office of .♦“.val Intelligence 
{ ashington, 1920). 




* 


f 


15 


* 


Congress n»de an appropriation for this *?ork or July 7, 1 84 the librarian, 
rof. J. R. a oift: , was sjade superintendent of the Laval er ‘©cords Office. 
Thereafter a Bin^X© chief presided over this office ^nd the library* Tn the 
reorganidation of the Department effected in 1889 these organisations were 
transferred to the office of the scrota ry of the Havy. 

Laval ar College 

After scouring the establishment of the training system Captain Luce 
turned hi« attention to promoting the creation of n school where officers of the 
Nary could be taught the art of mr. Through the powerful support of Admiral 
David D. Fort er and Cnpt. John Cl. nlker, chief of the Bureau of ftavlgntion, 
who were both strong friends, Captain Luc© wne ordered to nahtngton on special 
duty in 1884, and after a conference with Secretory of the hnry Chandler he 
was «ode pr* sident of a board to consider the question of the establishment of 
a war college.* Impressed by Luce’s nrgu^nto Secretary Chandler, adopted 
the recotasieridntion of the board, and on October 6, 1884 established the Laval 
-nr College on Coaster’s Harbor Inland under the general supervision of the 

p 

Bureau of Navigation. Commodore Luce os detached from command of the North 
Atlantic Fleet in September 1884 to become the first president of the institu¬ 
tion. In the 1st© poor house of the city of Newport the college was opened 
in the fall of 1 84, but it as not until ^September 1880 that the first brief 
session was held. Luc® was succeeded in August 1886 by Gapt* Alfred T. tfohan, 
who since bis detachment from the oommnA of the .-nchunett in the preceding 


1 Gleevos, og. cit .. 174; John htapler, "The Laval ar College, & Brief 
History," 0. J. h>vsl mat, roc. , I,Will (Au&. 1932), 1157; tephen B. Luce, 
”U. 3. Havel ar College, " b* L, Laval Inst, roc ., XXr/I, (June 1910), 562; 
Leon B. Plchnrdaon, llllan L. C nnadler* republican (Lev York, 1940), 307. 

2 By Navy Deport-sunt General Order Ho* ?R5. 







% 


* 


16 

year had been orkin- in Hew York on the lectures he was to deliver at the 
college. These lectures and others that followed resulted in bis famous 
bo >ka on the Influence of sen power on history v.hich be^vn to eraser'll* 1890, 

The early years of tho fruvul ar Colls,.e were ;,roc«rious ones o«in^ to 
the strong opposition evinced by book? officers, The Bureau of havi^ation con¬ 
tinued to support it, but, when relations between Captain alker and the Sec¬ 
retary of the Knvy became strained over the question of the detailing of 
officers, this was no longer effective, biker’s successor, Commodore Francis II, 
Haasay, had been superintendent of the Havnl Acsdeny at the tim of the estab¬ 
lishment of the collo&e on !ied opposed it on the ground that it was unneces¬ 
sary and that it should hove been a post graduate school at the academy anyway. 
The Bureau of Kquipmeut, which had been deprived of the headquarters for its 
Training »yateai on Coaster’s Harbor Island by its transfer to the hovel or 
College, sought to secure ita abolishment.^ The opponents of the college ’ ere 
so far successful a# to effect in 1889 the consolidation of the college and 
the Naval Torpedo station on Coat Island, ahere the station had been located 
since 1869. 2 The Havel Torpedo Nation *nd nr College, ae the consolidated 
Institution was designated, caao under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of 
ordnance. 

A nr* dainistrntion soon oame into power, ho^over, and the friends of 
the college were able to persuade oecrotwry of the Wavy Tracy to recomaead 
the construction of the no a buildin^ for the college on Coaster's < rbor 
Island, where there was nzapls ro -m and certainty of occupation since ths havy 
Department o*asd it. The appropriation act approved Juno $0, 1890 provided 


1 *, D. Puls a ton, ha/;, K ~ v: ' ll\ -,n'I ork of C t in .-»lfr « d Thayer Than 

(His* Haven, 19S9), 74-80. 

2 Luce, loc . cit ., 567, 

3 By isavy Department General Order ho. D6b, January 11, 1869. 




% 


* 


17 

that the bulling for which an appropriation had been srnde should be erected 
on that island. This appropriation was i^al^ned to the Bureau of Navigation, 
but Secretary Tracy re^aovfd the Naval ar College froa the jurisdiction of 
Ifemssy, who had succeeded talker on November 1, 1889, to the newly reestab¬ 
lished office of the Assistant secretary of the Nary to which was appointed 

* 

3 * mo R. -oley, one of the t »rli< at lecturers at the college and its staunch 
friend.* 

After an interval in w ieh no sessions were held the college reopened 
in September 1892 in it© new building under the presidency of Captain ;-inhan. 

The advent of the Cleveland administration brought into the position of 3ec- 
r«tary of the i* vy, Hilary Herbert, who as chairman of ths naval ap ropriations 
committee had opposed the foundation of the college. He held the sara© views 
as Commodore Ramsay, who was able to secure his support for *>n order detach¬ 
ing ^shan for sea duty. Later Herbert read one of khan's books and becane 
convinced of th6 value of the college. He detailed Capt. H. C. Taylor ns 
president with directions to place the institution upon a firm basis. Taylor, 
who mo later to be Chif f of the Bureau of Navigation had been nn early lec¬ 
turer at the college. On Deci ibor 16, 1901 the Naval nr Colle^o ..as a&ain 
placed under the Bureau of Navigation.* In 1909 it *as transferred to the 
Aid for Operations. 1 2 3 After bein^ in the Office of the Chi«f of Naval Dila¬ 
tions frof»\ 1915 to 1954 the Naval ar College as returned to the Bureau of 
Navigation in 1954. By this time the collage had become more of an educa¬ 
tional institution than a plnnnir.^ organization. 

1 LuceV"locT oit.*. 070; aleaton, 0 £. cit. , 92. 

2 Navy Department Conor'*! Order ho. 74, Deo. IS, 1901; 0. 3. Navy Department, 
Annual Report, 1908, 409. 

5 Effected by changes in Navy Re^ulationa, No. 8, Nov. 18, 1909. 




% 


% 


18 





Naval Inspector of Electric Li^htin^ 

vs early as 1882 the Navy Department becnsc interested in the instal¬ 
lation of electric on board ah is of the Navy. hale oil and 

sort recently lard oil had been uaed for li&htia-, purposes. The Chief of 
the Bureau of Navigation in that yenr recommended an appropriation, and as 
a result el«‘<ctric lights were Installed in the Trenton .^ IMs »«a the first 
ship of war in the world to be lighted by electricity. Capt., R. B, Bradford 
had char*;* of this work *.nd of the training of youn^ officers in it. :© be¬ 
came on Jenusry 6, 18B? the Naval Inspector of lt-ctrlo Li^htin^.® His duties 
were to prep are speciflent ions for installing electric lights on ships and 
at naval stations and to inspect electrical materials nnd machinery. In 1889 
all duties connected ith electrical eiu;ineerin: v»ere transferred from the 
Bureau of Navigation end the Bureau of Ordnance to the Bureau of Kquipaasnt, 
whose functions they wore aore in line with. 

Heor..aniaation of 1089 

In the years follosiin w the reorganisation of 1862 the Navy Department 
developed without plan or system. Non duties wore nsai^ed to the bureaus 
regardless of tholr lack of relationship to the duties bein^ performed by 
those) bureaus. The work of the bureaus was not properly coordinated, some¬ 
times with ludicrous results as in the case of the Qarh? . which, #h«n de¬ 
livered from the hands of the several bureaus workir^ upon hor, had her space 
so fully appropriated that she had room for coal for only four day’s steaming. 
All of the bureaus had char, e of the supply of ranterinXn, n function which 
should h :ve been concentrated in a single bureau. No bureau had charge of 
the detailed administration of the Navy; these duties era also scattered. 


1 l\ Navy >>;>.nrty.t.nt,' annual eport , lf>89, 296; 1890, fo. 

2 ibid., 1687, 157; .nullin, loc . cit . t XXII (Jcpt. 1918), 12o4. 








6 


0 


19 


This duplication anil ovorlappin^ resulted in increased expanse of ndminis- 
tr tion end decreased efficiency. 

The defects in the organisation of the Knvy Be^rtraent were pointed 
out by the ciecretnrieo of the Davy, nnd measures ore t k*m by them to cor¬ 
rect the incongruities. Joeretary hitney thought there was something radi¬ 
cally *ronc Kith the department mid proposed « division of its uoric into 
its threo nstural branches: IHvisio of eraonuel • n the fleet, which would 
be the military branch; the Division of Materiel -nd Construct on, which would 
furnish the ships and their equipment and supplies; nnd the ?;ivicloa of fin¬ 
ance ind i.c counts. His suoeefteor, Benjamin X. Tracy, wna also dissatisfied 

with the condition of th© bevy Department, and undor the ikcretsry’s author¬ 
ity to distribute the duties of the department among the bureaus established 
by Congress ho decided to effect a reorganisation, which xould charge the 
Bureau of imvi^stioii with the supervision of the ontir© fl$et, including 
vessels, officers, and seamen ea to training, aoai&Bjaent, inspection, end 
practice.^ The "net* navy” provided for b the net of August b, 1602 was 
already in existence and there **«» need for nn or&nniuntion to direct its 
operations. 

■his reorganisation wns effected by Davy Department General Order a o. 572 
of June 25, 1669, which entrusted the Bureau of Navigation with duties relat¬ 
ing to personnel *n1 the fleet. The handling of enlisted personnel and re¬ 
cruiting and the n prentice systc-M were transferred from the Bureau of ul - 
ment nd meruitin- to the Bureau of bavlgatlon. Thu Office of Detail » 
absorbed by the Bureau of Navigation. vender the 3ur©nu of Uuip.*.ent, ns the 
former Bureau of Equipment nnd Recruitin ; was thereafter culled, were placed 

1 v. hnvy Department, iianual import . If. xxvli, ll« 

2 Ibid., 1869, 37-40, 29b. 




4 


20 


the Naval Observatory, tho Nautical Xmnne Office, the Naval Inspector 
of Electric Lighting, and the Compass Office. la hie mauel report Secretary 
Tracy recommended that the ydrogrnphic Office also be placed by statute under 
the Bureau of Equipment, a transfer which was also favored by the Bureau of 
Navigation* e could not effect this transfer himself because of the statute 
already in existence, but it iena finally done by act of May 4, 1890. 

The duties of the Bureau of navigation were prescribed as follows in 
General Order no. 372: 

The duties of the Bureau of Navigation shall comprise 
all that relates to the t >romulgotion and enforcement of 
the Decretory*s orders to the fleet and to the officers 
^ of the Navy; all that reintea to the education of officers 

and men, tneludi n fc the Nevnl fccsdeaqr and technical ach 
for officers (except the Torpedo School), the apprentice 
establishment and schools for the technical education of 
enlisted men; to the enlistment and discharge of ell enlisted 
persons, including appointed petty officers for general and sp rial 
service, and to the preparation of estimates for the pay of all 
officers and enlisted men. 

It shall have under its sole control oil rendezvous end 
receiving ships, and It shall provide transportation for 
all enlisted persona and appointed petty officers. 

It shall establish the complement of th® crews of all 
vessels in commission. 

It shall keep the records of service of ell squadrons, 
ships, officers, end raen, and prepare the SI vsl 

He 0 ister for publication. 

It shall have under its directiou the Office of Naval 
Intelligence and Naval attaches abroad, the Department 
Library, libraries for ships, and the ar Necords Office. 

It shall bo charged with tho enforcement of* tho laws and 
authorised regulations, tactics, signal codes, and manuals 
of th© service and the keeping of the same correct to date. 

All questions with regard to discipline, changes of regu¬ 
lations, tactics, and manuala shall be submitted to this 
Bureau for its action or recommendation. 

It shall prescribe the dress of all officers and men and 
see that the regulations in this respect are strictly 
enforced. 








j* 










It ahnil rocciire and bring to the attention of the 
•Secretary of the Havy nil applications from officers for 
service or change of service. 

It shall receive till reports of service perforated by 
vessels, officers, or men; of *11 Inspections of the 
anne not of a special nature, and of all drills and 
exercises. 

In order to prevent the issuing of conflicting instruc¬ 
tions all official communications to vessels in commission 
shell be first submitted to tbs Secretary of the Navy and 
forwarded through this Bureau. 

Naval Horn© 

The Naval Asylum ©t Philadelphia wes established os a result of an act 
of Congress approved February 26, 1811, which created a Board of Commissioners 
of bavy Hospitals and directed it to provide at one of the locations obtained 
for hos itul purposes a permanent asylum for disabled Navy officers, seamen, 
end "iorlnos. hot until 1827 was the building be^un on a site near the 
Schuylkill Ivor. Although it was not completed, it was occupied towards 
the close of 1833 when tieftta moved in from the old Pemberton mansion on 
the grounds, which had been occupied as n naval hospital since 1B?6.* A 
superintendent who had be* n in choree after 1834 waa replaced by a governor 
in 1830. Until this time the institution had been under the general super¬ 
vision of the commandant of the bevy yard at Philadelphia, but it now became 
an independent command under the Jurisdiction after 1048 of the Bureau of 
edicine nnd surgery. On July 1, 1B49 it ..na transferred to the Bureau of 
nrds and Docks. Forty years later its name .as changed to Naval Horae, which 
had a better connotation thnn Naval .sylum. By order of the Secretary of the 


1 Edward ghippen, "£»one Account of the Origin of the i»«v*l Asylum at 
Philadelphia," - enns Ivania da^azine of history and Blo^rap-hy, VII (July 1883), 
130; Charles H. otoekton, ^ri^in, history, 3 and Regulations of the United 
states Naval Asylum , Philadelphia, ;ennsyIvania (Hashington, 1806) , lb. 

2 Richmond C. Holcomb, *•■. Century with the Norfolk ■»' v*i Poa-pital, 1830-1930 
(Portsmouth, Va. f 1930), 129. 













J\ ■ . 't .... ' • : 




v 

v 

. • •• . r* '•/ s x * 











82 


Navy of .arch 19, 1898 the personnel and administration of the wnv«l Homs 
wars transferred to the Bureau of Navigation, which by that time was essen¬ 
tially the personnel bureau of the Navy Department.* The Bureau of Yards 
-md locks, however, remained in charge of the buildings and ^rounds. 

opnnlah xnr 



* 


Upon the outbreak of the Spanish nr the Bureau of navigation undertook 
the procurement of officers unci men for the now ships of the Navy. tore ap¬ 
plications wore received for appointments then were needed, Dcaiainin^ boards 
were established to ascertain the quallflootions of applicants. Temporary 
appointments a&ro ^iven to 813 officers, of which 436 wore line officers. 

Over 900 other officers were obtained from the naval militia and the retired 
list of the Navy. The enlisted force of the Navy, which h id an authorized 
strength of IE,500 before the -ar, reached ft maximum of 24,183 on August 15, 
1898, The additional men »©r# secured throng enlistments, applicants bein^ 
many more than were required, iomedlately after the war the volunteer officers 
were discharged, and the enlisted personnel was reduced. 

Coast Clonal service 

The naval defense of the coasts of the United otntea had been a matter 
of concern to navel officers, but prior to the outbreak of the Danish .-ar 
no measures were taken by the Navy Apartment, 2 The Coast Jignal Service 
was organised upon the recommendation of « board convened by order of the Navy 
Department of Uctober 18, 1897, rurauant to orders of the 5cretary of the 
.,avy of larch 15, 1898, Capt., Casper F. Goodrich, roaident of the Nevni «r 


1 U. 8. mvy Department, Annual Report. 1098, 213. 

£ diehard .-^inwri^ht, "Havel Toast - lxn ,J a.** l], 3 . Naval Inst, croc ., XV (18Q8) 
61-74; , Y. Sampson, ^Outline of a Scheme for the Naval Defense of the Coast,” 

Naval Inst. .roc ,, XV (1889), 169-232; U, 3. Navy Department, 18' :; -4, 237- 
: Frequent lectures were ^iven at the hnvnl nr Colley© on coast defenses. 


244 







College, reported a plan for the establishment of const sitnnl station* on 
the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, based upon that of the Board.^ Orders were 
issued on April 9, 1898 to Captain Goodrich to establish these stations. He 
located his headquarters in lies fork nd on April EC telegraphed the command¬ 
ing officers of the naval militias of the seaboard states to establish ?nd men 
the const signal stations already decided upon. On the following dny Captain 
Goodrich was relieved by Cnpt. Theodore 3F. Knne. The letter was relieved on 
May 9 by Capt. John H. Bartlett, Chi f Intelligence Officer, who removed the 
headquarters to ashington, where it operated under the supervision of the 
Bureau of Levitation* i i~ht districts were created in which thirty-six signal 
stations were maintained b the state naval militias. The Life Having ervice, 
the Lighthouse Service, and the either Bureau cooperated *ith the Coast Clonal 
Jervice in maintaining a lookout for the approach of enemy vessels and the move¬ 
ments of American vessels. The Gervioe! was discontinued after the conclusion of 
the war. 

Laval Auxiliary 3ervice 

The collier service established by the Navy Department durin^ the S anish 
nr became a .eraanent organization operating under the direction of the Bureau 
of t* vi^ntion. Towards the end of torch 1898, a fe* weeks after the sinking of 
the .ama in the harbor of ivana, the Chief of the Bureau of Equipment re com¬ 
manded to the Secretary of the Wavy the purchasing of steam colliers in view of 
the iireat deficiency of coniine stations for the ^avy. 1 2 Upon the authorization 
of Theodore Roosevelt, Assistant secretary of the Savy, the Bureau of Hquipaeat 
obtained a number of colliers, which were used during the war to supply the 

1 B. 'Anderson, "The Coeat Gianni 3yston, n U, 3. Maval last, roc. , XXV 
(Dec. 1899), 727-745; aullin, loo , cit., XI, ( larch-April 1914), 420; U. 1. Wavy 
Department, Annual Report, 1898, 386ff. 

2 Office of tht* Georetary of the Ilavy, General files, Lo. 6203-54J, R. B. Brad¬ 
ford to the >ecret?,ry of the Navy, March 28, 1898. 






t 


r 


24 


vesaela of the Havy operating against the Spanish ami the naval baa© at Kay 
eat** One of the colliers purchased, the lerrl'aac , was sunk in the harbor 
of Santiago on the n.i&ht of June Z, 18V- by a valiant crew led by Lieut. ' ic- - 
mond P. Kobaon in a ortially eucoeeeful effort to bottle up the Spanish fleet 
in that harbor * 8 Other auppl ships were bought by AUalral Georgs Dewey for 
use in hia voyw&e from Hongkong to .anila .* 1 2 3 4 5 

For several years there contention between the Bureau of Equipment 
and the Bureau of Navigation over the control of the rsoveiaenta of the vessels 
composing the collier service, ^©cretstry of the Levy John D. Loiv. finally 
decided the controveroy in favor of the Bureau of Levitation.* Burlap the 
fiscal year 1900-1901, because of the difficulty of-securing naval personnel, 
the Bureau of Navigation successfully put into operation the practice of con¬ 
tracting with merchant captrine to supply crews for the colli®ra. This was 
not intended to be a permanent policy, but it was continued because of the 
dislike of the regular naval ; oraonnei for such nun-coabatant service. On 
January 9, 1904 Capt. albert oua was designated Iiiapector of Colliers with 
an office at Baltimore, where the coal contract was then let.^ 


1 Ibid ., 620?-34?, T. Hoooevelt to the Chief of the Bureau of quipraont, 

April 8, 189?’; Albert . Nib lack, "Colliers nnd Coaling Stations," U. a. val 
Inst. Proo .,XX£ (Sept. 1904), 068; U, 3* hovy Lopartraent, Annual Report , 1898, X, 
26-27; Pauliin, loc. clt ., XL ( laroh-April 1914), 4 2. 

2 Fred J. Buensle, The Collier .errimao," li, j, Laval Inst, ^roc., iXVl 
(Oct. 1940), 1447-1453. 

3 .3. hitted, "The Old Auxiliary Service," U. J, ./:y:-,l Xnat. "roc. , LIY 
(July 1928), 594. 

4 Office of the Secretary of the Navy, General Filee, No. 6203-342, John D. 

Long'a third endorsement to letter of the Bureau of l^quipment to the Secre¬ 
tary of the Navy, Sept. 2b, 1900, Oct. 3, 1900; Lon,„ .o the Chief of the 
Bureau of ^irrigation, 'faroh £7, 1901; U, 3. Bureau of navigation, emulations 
for aevy Colliers, 1902 (: ashing ton, 1902) $ 0. S. Levy IB portae at, .jtu^ 1 ■••■port . 
1901, 510. 

5 Pitted, loc . cit ., 594; Office of the Jud^e Advocate General, & val 
xamining Board Record of Albert loss. 


































. 





















* 

■ 

V 




. 

















25 


In 1905 the collier service sns cheated to the Naval uxiliary Ser¬ 
vice. ^ At this time the offiae was moved to New York, to which pl^ce the con¬ 
tract for coal had been tranaferred. The navrl officer in charge of the ser¬ 
vice was desiannted the Supervisor of Naval Auxiliaries. The Service included 
transpo ts, supply vessels, colliers and other vess la assigned to it by the 
Department. A subsequent transfer of the headquarters was nude to Norfolk. 

&>on after the outbreak of war with Oeranny in 1917 the ships of the 
Naval Auxiliary Service were placed in commission and their personnel were 
enrolled In the Naval Reserve Force. 1 2 In October of that year the Supervisor 
of >s.v« 1 .uxilisries eus ordered to transfer his headquarters from Norfolk 
to the Navy Departofnt, aahin^ton, D. C. and to report to the Chief of the 
Bureau of Navigation. 3 After the orld sr the auxiliary vessels remained 
in commission in the Navy, becoming part of til© Naval Transportation Service, 
which was established on July 3, 1920. 4 5 On June 30, 1922 the Navy Department 
was compelled to piece on inactive status the officers of the former auxiliary 
service, some of whom had served the Navy since 1898, because of lack of funds.® 


1 bitted, loc. cit .. 594; Office of the Secretary of the Navy, General Files, 

No. 6203-49. 

2 Office of the .Secretary of the Navy, General Files, No. 6203-144, Chief of 
the Bureau of Navigation to Supervisor of Naval Auxiliaries, April 27, 1917. 

The personnel of hospital ships were excepted from the call to active service 
because of the Geneva Convention. 

3 Ibid ., 6203-157, Acting Secretary F. P. iooeevelt to Bear Admiral Hugo 
Ceterhaus, Supervisor of Naval Auxiliaries, Oct. 3, 1917. 

4 Navy ■emulations , 1920, article 1458; Office of the Secretary of the h^vy, 
General Flics, No. 3980-1570, .emorandum for Bureaus, prll 11, 1920; 28963-836:1, 
Chief of Naval Operations to Bureaus, July 3, 1920; 28963-836:3 Capt. Charles 8. 
Freeman memorandum for Chief of Navel Operations, July 1, 1920; 5087-219, Office 
of Ghip Sloveiaents, Memorandum for the Chief of Naval Operations, June 30, 1921; 
3980-1607, Chief of Naval Operations, Memorandum for all Chiefs of Bureaus, 

Oct. 30, 1920. 

5 C. S. Navy Department, unnur.l ?vport , 1922, 16. 






f 




86 


# 


Navnl isar Board 

Dince the Navy Department had no ^enernl staff for the conduct of 
the military operations of the Navy, it was obliged at the outbreak of the 
opanleh nr in 1898 to create a special strategy board. An outgrowth of 
an informal advisory board which had existed for some time, the Naval ar Board 
«**» formed by Sr.crotary of the Navy John 1). Lon^ and met daily throughout the 
war.^ Its members were lear \dnairnl -ont^oaiory Picard, Capt. ,. S» Cro min- 
ahifcld, Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, *md C«pt. If red T. aha*, the wel- 
nown naval historian. The Board collected military Infor nation, prepared 
strategical plana of war, md sAviseu the Jecretary of the Navy, This Board 
played an important part in the conduct of the wur.® it aas dissolved upon 
the conclusion of the *ar. 


# 


General Board 

The experience of the Gpanish m.r having indicated the neceasity for 
a permanent war plans body in the Bevy Department, Secretary John D. Lon c es¬ 
tablished the General Board on March 13, 1900. 1 2 3 Its membership Included Ad- 
Urnl George De*ey, as ;resident, Rear -Amiml ;. A, Crowninahield, Chief of 
the Bureau of Navigation, the Chief Intelligence Officer, the President of 
the Naval mr College, end aev* r 1 Line officers. The Chief of the Bureau of 
Navigation functioned es chairmen of its executive committee, end in the ab¬ 
sence of the resident he was to preside. The Bureau was to be custodian of 
the records of the General Board and was to handle its correspondence. Cap¬ 
tain henry Clay T«: lor, >vho later abroad as Chief of the Bureau of Navigation 


1 l'. Navy Department« Annual deport , 189- , II, ZZ; Jervis Butler, "The 
General Board of the Navy,” U. J. Naval +net. roc ., LVI (Aug;. 1930), 701. 

2 ftnilUA* loo , til* . XL (J - n. 1914), 116-117; D. Puleston, Mhanj the 

life and ork of Captain Alfred nlmn (New Haven, 1939), 187-201; John D. 

Lon^ , Hit.- New ,, xricnn l.«vy (hew York, 1903, £ vole.), I, 16J2. 

3 <«vy Departmeat Central Order o. 544; Pnullln, loc . clt ., 118-119; D. A. 

Navy Department, Annual Beport. 1903, 5; Blchard ainwri w ht, "The General Board, 
* p'ketch,” L» S. T.'ival" lnst7~ roc. , XLVIII (Feb. 19£2), 190; Butler, loc . clt ., 










f 





27 


# 


* 


(April 29, 1902 to July 26, 1904) was largely responsible for 
the creation of the tenoral Board.* The creation of the Joint 
Army nnd havy Board on July 17, 1903 nee also due to his efforts. 

Re became on© of th© first members of this board, which was designed 
to coordinate and pro-note ’oint interests of the Amy and the U«vy. 
Hie de*th in the summer of 1904 removed one of the foremost advocates 
of the cr atlon of a general staff in the Navy Department. ver 
since its establishment, this Board has played an important part 
in the formulation of vm rican naval policy. ith the iuaval nr 
College and the Office of fcnvsl Intelligence it performed after a 
fashion the planning function of a general staff. Upon the es¬ 
tablishment of the Aid System in 1909 the Chief of the Bureau of 
Navigation lost his position on the board, but the bureau executed 
plans of the Board when approved by the Secretary. 

Inspector Of Target Practice 

Gunnery training like other haeaa of training was placed 
under the Bureau of Navigation in 1889 being transferred from the 
Bureau of rdnnnee. Manuals on gunnery prepared under the direction 
of the 3ur^nu of Navigation * re issued in 1893 end 1909, but little 
improvement ^ns wde in marksmanship. 

Alt ou t h two Spanish fleets were destroyed during the 
Spanish mr, our ^un- ery records acre not nt all cr ditable. x- 
aminln-, boards found after the war that the percentage of hits 
on the - anish wrecks at Santiago w*» lose than five per cent. 


1 islasrii ht. lot* oit .. 191: Nenry C. mylor,^ w '4e;rK>randura on 
General .,t«ff for the U. X. Wavy," 1. X. h val Inat. drop ., XXVI 
(Sept. 1900), 441-440. 

2 Office of the Secretary of the Navy, General Files, No. 
£72525-2:1, p. 34, Swift Board Report. 




28 


Following tho war particular attention was ^ivan to gunnery training. 
The Bureau of Grdnnnas had had charge of gunnery practice, but lie 
duties in connection with supplying the Navy with modern armament 
so engrossed its attention that it could not adequately supervise 
training; on vessels nt a< a. 

in 1901 an Inspector of Target Practice *mn essigned to the 
Bureau of Navigation to handle ell matters pert' ining to gunnery 
practice.- 1 2 * Gun mr schools were established at aohington and 
Norfolk, and twining was given on board shins. Under the direct on 
of Lieut. Commander llli*ra 3. 31ms from 1902 to 1909 our naval gunnery 
was vastly improved. 8 


Hnvnl Training Stations 

The recruiting of men for the Havy and the supervision of 
their training *aa transferred from the Bureau of Equipment and 
Recruiting to the Bureau of Navigation in 1889. en enlisted at 
naval rendezvous loc«t<d at the principal seaports were taken on 
board receiving ships and then transferred to cruising ships for 


1 ‘illiara D. Leahy, Director of Gunnery Exercises and .Engineer¬ 
ing rerformances to Bureau of t* vigation, Feb. 4, 1980 (A report 
in the office of Naval Records and Library); Office of the Judge 
Advocate General, Navel Examining Board Record of Albert \ 

Biblack: Lieut. Commander Mblaek was assigned on October £4, and 
re orted on October 26, 1901. U. 3. Navy Department, annual Report 
1902, 402. 

2 Llting K. Loriaon, Qdairal Lima aim the Lodtrn ^rlcnn Navy 

(Boston, 1942), 131-147, 225-262. 






£9 


# 



training..- frior to the Spanish «r enliste ; man were given apeoinl 
timiAia^ nt only the torpedo school at Ke*port, R. I, mi d the ^un 
foundry fit the nehington Navy Yard, The training given nt the Inttcr 

place embraced 11 number of crafts. The technical iir rovefnents which 

* 

v had boon introduced into nnVal vessels following the Civil ar 
aede It necessary to devolop men with special skills. 

During the administration of John D. Lon,., no .Secretary of 
the Navy (1897-1902) on electrlael school end ft school for yeomen 
**re established at the New York Knvy Yard, and an artificers school 
at the Norfolk Navy Yard.* nother electrical school was established 
at Ban Frtr.cisco. A school for hospital apprentices was located t 
the Norfolk Naval hospital. Since those days the training facilities 
afforded to enlisted personnel have steadily Improved and h*»ve 
constituted an important sttr ction In obtaining enintments of 
youths In the Navy. 

To meet the increasing demands of the Navy for seamen, the 
Bureau of Navigation undertook the enlistment and training of 
landmen In 1900. 1 2 3 Recruiting was extended to the inter'.or of the 
country, and successful use was utade of recruiting parties. These 
young men ;\&ed from eighteen to twenty-f ivs were transferred from .. 
recruiting stations to receiving ships r.ivA then placed upon training 
ships. After cruises of six to eight months they were sent into the 
regular service »s ordinary seamen.* 


1. Long, Ibid , I, 93. A.C. Dillingham, "U. 3. Naval Training ttcrvloe," 
b. a. Nnval Inst, roc ., XXXVI {June 1910), 360Y, Also t). & m Naval 

Depn rt'icnt, Annual vrorts . 

2. U, S. Aevy Department, Annual .deport , 1900, 4i)l: 1901, 511; J. 
Taussig, "The Enlisted ereonnel of the Navy*" ", A. iv vr? lnr»t. roc ., 

:. 1915), 1788. 

3. H. held, "A N vnl Training rollcy and Ay stem,” U, a . Navul 
Inat, roc. . XXIX (March 1903;, 14. 









30 


The development of training stations like those in use for 
training *prrentiers wna noon un dor say. Both the 3ur< ill of 
£lquip.7i«nt mid Meruitin u end the Bureau of i>.vig'ttion h-td Hade 
recoanendotions for the establishment of permanent barracks on 
shore for use in training enlisted men.* It » a pointed out 
that the receiving ships or roofed over hulks »ere ex enslve to 
maintain; that tr ining stations were preferable for ronsono of 
health, sanitation, ^nci hygiene; and th t they would provide 
better facilities for drll* and recreation* Tn 1901 the Bureau 
of ftsvit/*tion began to develop the abandoned naval station at art 
Hoysl, 3. C, a« a training station, but Congress failed to make an 
a; propriation and it had to be given up.** The Franklin and the 
Kichiaond were stationed at the Norfolk havy Yard, larking the 
beginning of that shore establishment an a training ate tion* * At 
the League Island ‘iavy Yard in Philadelphia other landsmen were 
quartered on board the 41nne«»polla and the Pur It fin , and use res 
made of the facilities, which hud already been established at 
Ban Francisco for the apprentices. 1 2 3 4 5 Temporary barracks were con- 
structed nt Norfolk nnd - ilsdelphis for the use of the landsmen*^ 
,fter several years of operating the apprentice and the 
lr.ndsmen training syatemn the Navy Department consolidated the two 


1 U. 3. Lnvy Deportment, Annual Boport , IB? 6 , 105; 1B99, 405* 

2 Ibid., 1901, 511-12: 1902, 401. 

3 Ibid., 1902, 401. 

4 Ibid., 1903, 432. 

5 Ibid., 1904, 495. 1162. 








t 


21 


# 




methods of training. A recommendation to this effect was made by 
the coamander-in-chief of the Atlantic Training squadron, who 
ur^ed chan^in^ the ratings of apprentices and landsmen to apprentice 
seamen.^ An officer ritin^ in the Inlted Jtatea Pavel Institute 
i roceodln t ,a came out strongly for the establishment of a uniform 
training policy.^ On the ground that experience had shown that 
younger boys could not do the heavy work required of them on 
board naval vessels, the Bureau of Aavi^ation changed the minimum 
a 6 e for apprentices to sixteen on January 1, 1904. 1 * 3 The aer^in^, 
of the apprentice and landsmen training systems was effected at 
the end of November 1904. 4 This order changed the designation 
' of all enlisted men under training for the seaman branch to 
apprentice seamen and fixed the minimum n^e for enlistment 
at seventeen years. Minors enlisted under the n^e of eighteen 
wer? to serve until they reached twenty-one years of a^e, while 
those enliste at eighteen and over were to serve for four years. 

The order became effective on December 1, 1904. 

The training of the apprentice seamen was conducted at the 
Kaval training stations at Newport, Norfolk, and Gan Francisco. 


1 Office of the Secretary of the Davy, General Files Ho. 17Q64, 
Dec. 16, 1902. Secretary of the Hnvy loody directed the Bureau of 
Navigation at this time to prepare and stibmit to the Department a 
draft of on appropriate executive order. 

£ <eid, loc. clt .. 1, 15* 

3 U. 5. Aavy Department, Annual Aoport . 1905, 276: 1903, 4?;1904, 
495; a.C. Dillingham, "Methoda ..mployed at Training Jtation for 
training Apprentice :'»eaoen for the Fleet,* *J.G. Naval I net, roc., 
XXXIII (Aarob 1907), 137. 

4 By Navy Department General Order ho. 170, which com unicoted 
an executive order to the naval service. Office of the Secretary 
of the Davy to the i resident, Dov. 29, 1904; U. j. Navy Department, 
Annual Iteport, 1905, 376. 












32 


In 1905 there were at these places in the order named 1200, 600, 
end 60 apprentice seamen. At Norfolk the station was located on 
the »>t. Helena reservation on the Elizabeth Fiiver opposite the 
navy yard. In 1911 the Oreet Hakes Hovel Training Jtation was 
opened on the west ahor* of Lake Michigan thirty-five miles north 
of Chicago. Originally provided for by an act of Congress approved 
April 27, 1904, this station had b>en und; r construction for several 
years. 

Supervision of the training stations was placed under an 
officer in the Bureau of ftavi,jitIon in 1 06, thus promoting 
uniformity in the training and handlin of recruits.* Finger¬ 
printing as a means of identification v.aa Inaugurated on 
January 1, 1907. g 

havnl Districts 

hieval defense districts were established in 1902 on the 
surest ion of Ifcer Admiral H* C. Taylor, Chief of the Bureau of 
navigation, for the naval defense of the coeat. The Bureau of 
Havi stion, which had recommended the division of the const ns 
a step to ard, more efficient defense in time of *ar, was given 
cognizance and general supervision of matters pertaining to these . 
districts. 3 The districts created in 1902 were replaced by 
thirteen naval districts in 1903. 4 Portions of the sea coast and 

Tl 6 , 3 . Levy Department, Annual Report , 1906, 423. This was 
probably the beginning of the Enlisted Personnel Division. 

2. Ibid., 1911, 200. 

3. Ibid., 1908, 397; 1903, 494; 1904, 304. 

4. By Havy Department eneml Order ho. 1£8, lay 7, 1903. 




'• : ' J ' 

•;»< . ' ■■ '< : • •• • 

- 1 •' ' 

, t 


■ 

•- -• i' f .r: ;v { : 1 ul ' -; «’ - • 




!. ■. . • - -r : ' ■ *. t ■' .. 0 . ; 1 

! i ;.i . *"> *J % s Ml >• mot 

" ■ ■' 


. .. 'i , • 

- 


. 

. * •*!.: {K> o: : •• .S ,&• . 4 ^i ; .f 




33 

of the shores of the Great lakes were assigned nt this time to the 
districts, but definite assignments of states wore not made until 
1917* An Office of Naval iilitia Affairs and Naval Districts was 
established in the Bureau of Navigation in 1912. 1 2 

Division of ersottnel 

The reorganization of the Navy Department effected in 1909 
by order of Secretary of the Navy George v>n L. Myer divided it 
into four divisions, as follows: Division of Operations of the 
Fleet, ivision of Personnel, Division of Material, and Division 
of Inspections. 

Effective on December 1, 1909, this reorganization was a 
further step towards the creation of a general staff in the 
;»avy Department. For the Bureau of Navigation it mnn% a marked 
decline in influence nnd prestige. Henceforth the Aid for 
Operations (after 1915 Chief of Naval Operations) was to be the 
outstanding officer in the Navy Department. 

The functions of the aids who were in charge of th* divisions 
was to assist and advise the Secretary, but they were without super¬ 
visory or executive authority. The existing Bureaus of the Deport¬ 
ment were distributed »«o% these division*' the Bureau of Navigation 
being assigned to the Dlvisi n. of Persona*!. At this time the Ktfcflkl 
*r Colley© the Office of Neva! Intelligence, the Inspector of Target 
ractice, and control of the movements of ships, were transferred 
to the Division of Operations of the Fleet, In 1914 the hntmX »dio 
service as also transferred. 


1. By Navy Department General Order No. £51, Dec. 30, 1912. 

2. By Changes in Navy Peculations No. 6, Nov. 18, 1909; U. 3. Kavy 
Department, Annual eport, 1909, 7; 3.3. De olfe igwe, P*eorie von 
Lengerke 'M'jor (New York, 1920), 467. 








( 


{ 




Inspector of -n^inocrin*, Competitions 
The improvement attained in naval naarkaaenship through the 
introduction of competitive target practice eu^eeted the employ¬ 
ment of a similar ayetern in connection with engineering efficiency. 
Instructions for the inauguration of yearly competitive steaming 
teats were asued on .June 4 t 1909.* The Office of Inspector of 

n^ineerin^ Competitions was established in the Bureau of itavl£a- 

2 

tion in the following month. Awards of prizes, trophies, and 
badges were wde through this office to the »*ar ships displaying 
the ^rentest proficiency in the teste. It also prepared compila¬ 
tions showing the results of the competitions. On February 2, 

1911 this office was combined with the Office of the Inspector 
of Target Practice,* which had been transferred to the Division 
of Operations of the Fleet in 1909. The edoption of engineering 
competitions resulted in more efficient opor tion of the machinery 
of navnl vessels, and increased steaming radius for the fleet, and 
economies in the use of coal, oil, and other supplies. 


1 havy Department General Order Do. 26; U.S. Hnvy Department, 
Annual report . 1909, 33, 306. 

£ office of the Gocretary of the Ntavy, General File, ho. 28067, 
resident's Commission on Economy and Efficiency, Form 3a. 

2 Ibid .; office of the Jud^e Ad voc te General, liavHl ; xamlnlng 
Board Record of Lei^h C. Palmer, who wns the first director. 






24 


As prescribed by Change a in Knvy Regulations ho. 6 the 

dutlen of the Bureau of Anvigntion sere no follows: 

8A # (1) The duties of the Bureau of Navigation shall 
comprise? the issue, record, and enforcement of the 
orders of the Jecretnry to the individual officers of 
the hnvy; the training and education of line officers 
end enlisted aen (except of the hospital corps) at 
schools and stations and in vessels maintained for that 
purpose; the supervision and control of the Aava! 

Academy* technic-1 schools for line officers, the 
apprentice seamen establishment, schools for the 
technical education of enlisted men, end the 'aval 
Home «t Philadelphia, -a,; the maintenance nd re -*lr 
of the Naval ar Colley,©; the enliatem-nt, assign a<ant 
to duty, and discharge of all enlisted pereons, and the 
preparation of estimates for the pay of all officers and 
enlisted men, 

(2) It ahnll have under its direction all rendezvous 
and receiving ships, and shall provide transportation for 
all enlisted persona under its cognizance. 

(3) it shall establish the complements of all ships 
In commission. 

(4) It shall keep the records of service of ell 
officers and men, and shall prepare «n annual nav register 
for publication, embodying therein deta as to fleets, 
squadrons, and ships which shall be furnished by the Aid 
for Operations. 

($j) It shall be charged with all matters pertaining 
to applications for appointments and commissions in the 
ftavy and with the preparation of such appointments and 
commissions for signature. 

(6) It shall be charged with the preparation, re¬ 
vision, and enforcement of all regulations governing 
uniform, and ith the distribution of all orders and 
regulations of a general or circular character. 

(7j questions of naval discipline, rewards, end 
punishments will be submitted by this bureau for the 
action of the A*oret«ry of the Navy. The records of 
«11 general courte-^artlal nd courts of inquiry 
involving the personnel of the Anvy shall, before final 
action be referred to this bureau for comment as to 
disciplinary features. 

(Q) It sh 11 receive and brint to the attention 
of the Secretary of the Anvy nil applications from officer;* 
for duty or leave. 

(9) It shall receive all reports of services performed 
by individual officers or men. 

As a part of Secretary layer’s reforms, the duties of the 
Bureau of Equipment *ere distributed among the other bureaus of 



35 

of the Navy Department in 1910.* The Hydrographic Office, the 
Naval Observatory, the Nautical -l iana© Office, an: the Compass 
office ware transferred back to the Bureau of navigation.® ^ 

Naval viation 

the wavy at this time began turning its attention to the 
possibilities of the us© of airplanes. The ri Cj> ht brothers of 
Dayton, Ohio had been flying power-driven machines of their own 
invention and construction oinoe 1903, but they had been unable to 
Interest the United States Government. In July 1909 ^hen Orville 
right aede a euccesaful trial flight «t Fort %er, Virginia to 
meet IS* 3. ray specifications, two naval officers «ere present as 
observera. They made an enthusiastic report, but the Navy did not 
Immediately follow the Army's lead in >urchosing an irplane. A 
navel officer, Ceptnin Washington X. Chambers, was ordered to the 
mry Department in 1910 ith instructione to give part of his time 


1. The Secretary painted out that the duties of the Bureaus hod 
been extended by an illogical growth so that they were overlapping, 
be recommended that the Bure u of Equipment be abolished and its 
duties be distributed among the other Bureaus. Cf. Annual Teyort , 

1909, 7. Authorization for such a distribution was provided for in 
an act of Congress of June 24, 1910. 

2. Effected by Changes in Navy Peculations Bo. 11, June 27, 1910 
(Office of the secretary of the Bevy, General Files ho. 3980-556:4), 
and Departmental Order No. 70, June 30, 1910 (Office of the secretary 
of the Navy, General Files Go. 27256-88). Article 8 A (10) of the 
Changes in Nvy Peculations reeds as follows concerning the Bureau of 
Navigation: "It shall have charge of the hydrographic Office, the 
Naval Observatory, the hnutionl Almanac Office, and Compass Office; 
all that relates to the supply of ships with Navigational outfits, 
including instruments, and ith the cinteanneo and rep ir of the same; 
the collection of foreign surveys; publication and supply of charts, 
sailing directions, and nautical works, an: the dissemination of 
nautical, hydrographic, and metarologicnl information to the Navy and 
mercantile marine, it atoll also have charge of ell ocean end lake 
surveys and ships and libraries; it Stoll defray the expense of pilot¬ 
age of all ships in eommissiozi." The chnn a ea became effective on 
July 1, 1910. 






'■ trjft'’ w/*; ■ 

, 1 * 

t :• x 


, *■ ■ x f.it i ill 

. 

• - 

, • 1 . 

eii . »*u ' a f i.')” tto 

■ 

i 


# 




38 


to QEiiifillQ.pfdgWWMI ia aero; .1 On April 14, 1911 ha was 

assigned to the Bureau of Navigation to devote his entire time to 
coordinating the aeronautical work of the Bureaus of the Navy 
Department. 2 

Captain Chambers succeeded in the next two years in 
carrying thro ;gh aorae significant experiments designed to adapt 
the airplane to naval purposes. On November 14, 1910 'ugene Ely, 
a free lance aviator formerly connected with Olenn H* Curtiss, 
flew a Curtiss machine from a special wooden platform on the 
Dlrml?v:hara in Chesapeake Bay. A curtias airplann ns landod by 
ly on the annoy1vania on J^nunry 18, 1911 off Nan Francisco. 

A hydroplane was developed by Curtias at North island near 3aG 
Diego, end in February such a crnf # t was landed by Curtiss along 
side the Pennsylvania end hoisted aboard by me ns of a crane. 

The Navy acquired its first airplanes in October 1911 when two 
Curtias planes and one right plane were delivered nt the naval 
reservation on the Severn River across from Annapolis, <5d. Three 
pilots, Lieutenants Lllyson, dodgers and Towers, who had been 
tr inecl by the manufacturers, took charge of the machines. The 
following winter was spent at North Island engaging in experiments 
-frith * flying boot with Curtias. On October IE, 1912 Kllyson made 
a successful catapult launching at the aahin^ton Navy Y«rd. Early 


1. Harold 3. illler, Navy in : ,s (New York, ’-93?), 24. 
i. 'Ibid., 88 J .... lit*, Aj| . it . 8. gnral *i*ii2* ( "'-sh¬ 

in .ton, 1930), 5. Chambers report : for special duty in the Navy 
Department on December ?, 1909, continuing in that status until 
April 3, 1911 when he ns placed on duty »ith the General Board 
until April 14. Cf. Office of the Jud^e dvocate Doner 1, Naval 
Examining Board Record of eahin&ton 1. Chambers. 








37 

the next ymr aircraft participated in the fleet maneuvers off 
Guantanamo, sho^in^ their v$lue for reconnoiusance, the detection 
of submariner* and mine fields, end in bombin*,. 

By 1913 naval aviation had demonstrated its usefulness, 
and it *m» n more important position in the havy Depart¬ 

ment. In December 1913 Copt. 4ork L. riotol took charge of an 
aeronaut ice office in the Division of operations.^ Captain 
Chambers revalued ith him in an advisory capacity. 

iiavnl iiadlo Bervloe 

mot until some ;•■<■ -ore aft^r the *«avy Dar,ar■ .meat had been 
interested in radio ms the administration of n*»v«l radio activities 
placed un er the Bureau of Aavination. As early ns 1899 some naval 
officers eere assigned under the direction of the Bureau of Equip¬ 
ment to observe and report upon the working on arconi’e system.** 

The installation of redio sets on ships and at shore stations was 
be^un in 1903. In 1904 the i resident approved the recontmendition 
of an interdepartmental board that the Davy Department maintain a 
complete system of radio stations upon the coasts of the United 
states end its possession*, -it in e te# yer.ra these radio stations 
were established. Besides bain*. used for sending government messages, 


1. offlee of the Jud&e advocate General, i*aval x-mining Board Record 
of tlsrk *+• Bristol, eport on Fitness of Officers, Bov. 11, 1910-arch 
21, 1914 signed B.A. Flake, *id for operations, oeeregtry *a Files 

5>87-129 Mark h, Bristol, Annual Heport on erouaut^ca, Jan. 18, 1916, 
Bradley Flake, From iduiipman to Bear-Admiral (Wee York, 1919), 539. 
Admiral Fieke felt that Chambers bad been more interested in certain 
inventions connected vith Aviation than in developing an aeronauticol 
service, so ho secured the appointment of Bristol and jjave him half of 
his desk. 

2. illiam H. 0. Bullard, "United ate tea Havel tedio Service*, U.3. 
uaval in at. roc. XL (iSarch-Aprll 1914), 431. 






* . - • > < ' . 


.to' •a . ■ ’-<? 


* *• ' i ' . ■ , i? 

* 




.1 

. ■ , a ■ 

& 


■ - . Ik . 7t 

, - . . f • 




38 


# 


# 


wenther reports, reports or darters to navigation, and time 
signals to ship# at sea were nont. in April 1911 by order of ths havy 
Department a number of radio stations were directed to handle 
commercial ^ann^oa under certain conditions. 

Co gnisance of si relens tele&r^phy was transferred from the 
Bureau of fcquipaent to the Bureau of teen n^ineerin^ in 1910, 
when the duties of the former Bureau were distributed maon^ the 
other bureaus of the avy Department. 

The passage of the act of Congress of August 13, 1912 gently 
increased th^ work of the Federal Government in connection with 
radio. This not provided for the opening of shore stations to 
comma-cini business, the examination and licensing of nil private 
and eoraraorcial apparatus and operators, and brought under federal 
control the o er tion of all radio apparatus. Accordingly it 
was decided to establish an office to administer the naval radio 
service and, the provisions of the fore^in^ act. A fcuvvl 

Bodlo Service visa established by uavy Department General jrder 
ho. f:40 of vewber 9, 1912, and the Office of ouperintendent 
of iiaval 'tadlo service was located at the radio station in 
Arlington, Va. across th< otoncc iver froa ©shic^ton, . C. 

indent *#• under the direction of the Bureau of tioa. 


1. liT vi. r.«’vy Gepartment, nnunl eport , 1913, 145. 

2. Ibid . 450; bval ndio or vice, annual Report# 
1918-1913, 5; 1914-1915, 3; b. U. riavy Departawnt. 
Annual deport , 1913, 124. 


0 


i 








r 



39 


The bureau of ote i Dn c ,ineerin& relieved of e.dnlnistrativo 
functions in connection with nnval radio, but continued to handle 
technical caottera. In the folio ink year forty-nine r*dio stations 
wort beiat, operated by the Navy and aeveml others were under con¬ 
struction. In addition 200 naval vea ala were equipped with radio. 
During 1914-1915 the to ovemaent work perforiied in the Office of 
superintendent of hnval Radio Service was under the direct au ©r- 
viaion of the Assistant Juperintotv ent who woa also the Atlantic 
Coeat Superintendent of talio, This position waa occupied by a 
naval officer. The cohereial work was in charge of a civilian. 

The f’Qrk of the fcaval Dadio Service was aorts logically 
related to that of the Division of Operation# of the Fleet 
than to the personnel functions performed by the Bureau of 
KftYi&Atlon. The actual operation and supervision of the rfidio 
service were gradually transferred to the Division of Operations 
of the licet.^ Thie tr r»sfer appears to have taken place 
during 1914-1915. 

Division of Naval Militia Affaire 

To the Bureau of Tt&vijntion, which for years had been 
interested in the development of n reserve force for the Navy, 1 2 
was transferred in 1911 the administration of the naval militia. 


1. Office of the secretary of the Navy, -antral File, Ito. 12479- 
794:5, Report of Board on organization o. Naval Badio Oervics, 

Feb. TO, 1915, p. 62; Naval xatsinln* Board ecord of 

Bullard, contains fitness reposts for \pril 1, to September 30, 1914, 
an Oct. 1, 1914- arch 31, 1913, whiehvre signed by Bradley . Fi«ke, 
the Aid*for Operations. 

2. t. 3. Navy Department, nnual ©port , 188?, 14 -149, recoinended 
by the Chief of the Burt? u of Deviation, T. ;. alker. 





40 


Federal interest in the navnl ailitin of the states, which were 
then beint. organized and developed, took tangible fora in 1891 
when an act of Congress appropriated #25,000 for the extension 
of federal support.* A further act of ugust 5, 1 :5 94 authorized 
the Navy Department to loan old naval vesselo to naval ailitia 
for training purposes. During the Spanish-American nr 4316 
mn. of the naval militia served with the regular Davy, the 
uxiliary ;*aval Force, and the Coast <vit»nnl service, ndrainia- 
trntive matters connected with the naval militia were handled 
by the Assistant Secretary of the Davy until December 1, 1909 
when they were transferred to the Division of Personnel of the 
Office of the secretary of the ttnvy.® The ftnvl .ppropriation 
Act of larch 4, 1911 hiving provided the funda, an Office of 
Naval iilitia came into existence in that Division in the same 
yenr. 3 havsl Hilitie affairs were placed under the Bureau of 
Navigation in 1912 in conjunction with n vnl district matters. 4 
ureuant to an act of Congress of February 16, 1914, which beou^ht 
the Naval llitia under federal control, avy Department General 
rder No. 93 of April IP, 1914 established the Division of inval 
Militia ffftirs under the Bureau of Navigation.® in 4oy 1915 

TT auTlla. r loo , cit ., (Dec. 1913), 1507; Ibert 1. iiiblaok, 

"The i.iv’.l -iliti*' ovenent," V. ... Dav?.! Inst, ‘roc ., ,DI (1?95), 779 
787. 

2. Effected by Changes in Davy He^ulatioaa Do. G, -»ov. 18, 1909. 

3. U. is. superintendent of Document a, o_. Cit. , 69S. 

4. By : vy Department . eneral Order .Do. 251, «oc. 30, 1812. 

5. . ... navy Department, Annual Report , 1914, 195*196: 1918, 67: 
ohort, or,cit ., 3SH. 






r 


f 


41 


the officer in charge ;f the Division »a« transferred to th© 
office of the Chief of inr-.l Operations, besides W val 4ilitia 
affaire, ^nd Naval Districts, this officer lao had charge of 
an f ice of Naval ;<>s rve, which hod been cro'tod during 1912- 
1913. H 

Naval leserve 

The efforts of the Bureau of Navigation to secure the 
estnbl ahjseat of a ivaval esorv® rtsu’ ted in the authorization 
for the hnval esarv® Fo rce by the ;.ct of Contra a a of ..u-. tat 
29, 1916. The Bureau of M ivi ;ntion *aa directed by order of 
the ..scretaiy of the ~vy of optember 22, 1916 to organize 
a section of reserves and to inoorporate therein the Division 
of Naval mitift Affairs.' 5 The net of u u unt 29, 1916 olso 
provided for the enrollment of the naval militia in time of 
* r Into a force to be Uno.*n as the i%tio;;al iiavel Volunteers. 

Dpon the mobilization of the n^val militia on pril 6, 

1917, the day that > -r declare u^ninat Germany, nearly all 
voluntered for enroll sent in the itional .aval Volunteers. 1 2 3 4 

The Federal Government then found itself *ith t*o organizations 
the United States Naval Reserve Force, ahich vvoa reenuited from 


1. Office of the Jud w e vivoente General, Bevel i^ejainin^ iionrd 
Hocord of F.B. Bassetts, Jr.; Bevy Department, .naunl u, ort , 

1916, 770. 

2. U. S. navy department, annual Report . 1913, 127-121. 

3. Office of the secretary of the Navy, General Files No. 3973-164, 

L. C. ^nlmer, Chief of the Bureau of i.-vl^ation to the Chief of 
o^vnl Operations, vu^uat ' 5, 1916;. No. 3973-16:;, . 3. Bauson, 

Chief of Naval operations to the Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, 
Oopt. 16, 1916; ao. 39733164, Josephus Daniels to the Chief of the 
Bureau of Navigation, lept. 22, 1916. 

4. 3, Hnvy Department, Annual .deport , 1917, 23. 







c 


42 


ex-aervice 3i©n «.n<1 the merchant anrino, and the National Naval 
Volunteers, which was composed of the former naval militia of 
the ate ten, both maintained for the purpose of reinforcing the 
Navy in time of nr. To prevent the duplication of effort and 
the double overhead of coat and ereonnel for training, it was 
determined to aork out e plan of anal umtion. This ^ns ion© in 
cooperation ?ith the officers of the former nev^l railitia, and 
an act of Congress was approved on July 1, 1918, repealing all 
laws relating to the naval militia nnd the Rational Jinvnl 
Volunteers and tr*>naferring the personnel of the latter to the 
United states have I Reserve orce.~ Thus 17,000 men and 783 officers 
were added to the Nav^l Reserve Force. By the same act the 
Division of Knval ilitia affairs was discontinued; its clerical 
force and the office expense rovidod for it were transferred to 
the Bureau of Navigation. In thin Bureau the Naval Reserve Force 

p 

iviaion was organized iu September 1919, The designation ^.val 
Reserve Force was changed to the Naval Reserve by the xt of 
February £Q, 1925, and the Division in the Bureau of navigation 
became the Naval Reserve Personnel Division, which was shortened 
about 1934 to Nev^l Reserve Division. This act provided for the 
appointment of conmunication officers 'snd resulted in the formation 
of the waV‘l Communication Reserve.” 


1. Ibid. , 19IB, 71; 1920, 565. L. U. statutes r.t large, 40, 706, 
712. 

1. ohort. O’) . cit ., 325; U. 6 , :»«ivy Department, annual Report, 
1920, 561; U. . Navy Directory, Oct. 1, 1919, 247. 

3. Dean brooks, "The imv^l Coanmnlcation Reserve," i. 0. naval 
Inst. : roc. ,LX1V (inarch 1936), 860-034. 









1 


43 


la 1932 ttaval Reserve Educational Centers ware established at 
He* ¥ork, nshln^ton, New Orleans, and 3an Francisco to promote 
the instruction of Naval osorve officers. 1 In June 1941 the Naval 
Reserves were placed on active duty soon after the resident had 
declared an unlimited national emergency. 

Nnval Reserve Officers' Training Corps 
An additional reserve for the Navy was established pursuant 
to the act of .mroh 4, 192b, which provided for a Naval Reserve 
Officer* Training Cor, a similar to the irsjy R. 0, T. C# authorized 
by the National Defense Act of June 5, 1916.*' The object wns to 
provide instruction at civil educational institutions to qualify 
s* looted students for appointments in the Naval Reserve. Funds 
having become areliable, four y< ar courses in naval science and 
tactics were inaugurated at the following universities in the fall 
of 1926: California, rsshington, Harvard, Yale, Northwestern, 
end Georgia Nchool of Technology. The administration of these 
units was placed under the Training Division of the Bureau of 
navigation* Legislation enacted February r?, 1936 provided for 
the appointment of a United number of Naval R. 0. T. C. students 
to the Naval Academy. This program has been considerably 
expended Tilth in the past several years by the establishment of 
Navel R. 0. T. C. units at numerous other universities. 

Office of Chief of Naval Operations 
tuder ecretar of the Navy Jose: hue Daniels, who succeeded 

T. Kdv«nrd B. Arroyo, "Naval 'ese-vu ; ducntional Centers," U. N. 
Naval ln>t. roc., LX1I (June 1936), 832. 

2. C. . ftlaits, "The liaval Reserve Officers* Training Corps," 

U* Li, Naval Inst, roc., -XV (June 1928), 441. 










44 


Meyer in 191?, the P5visions eotnVlished b the latter disappeared 
because of Daniels' dialike of beln*. dominated by the military 
element in the ! e artment. ' new Chief of the Bureau of Krvi^tion 
was appointed* by Secretary D mlsls soon ^fter he enter d office* 1 
tie tf ot rid of the Aid for eraonnel by ordering him to sea 
without relief. ersonnel matters* were thus a^nin ; laced entirely 
under the Burenu of !***vibration. The aid for Operations na 
retained because Admiral eorpe Dewey, resident of the General 
Board prevailed upon Daniels to retain him. 

The movement for a general staff in the Skvy Department, 
which continued after the department feilttd to secure the 
lc s allnation of the id System culminated in the creation of 
the Office of the Chief of Havel Operations by net of Congress 
of March 3, 1910. The offices which had been tr-nsferred from 
the Bureau of J»uvi v ation to the Division of Operetione of the 
Fleet in 1909 end the Havnl Dadio Service, wer* placed under 
the Chief of HovrI Ope tlons, who took office on ay 11, 1915. 

T, hft Division of XtiV'"! Tilitia vffaira was trensferre 1 in "ay 
from the Bureau of Hevi^ation to the Office of the Chief of 
i'invpil Operatior.8 and with it the administration of Naval district 
matters. 

- ■ vy ’te^ulrtiono (1917). issued by the Secretary of the ttavy 

after the passage of the net prescribed ns follows: 

131. (1) he duties of the bureau of Ifavl&atlon shell 
comprise the issue, record, and enforcement of the orders 
cf the secretary to the individual officers of the fcevyj 
the trrinin,. and education of line officers and of en¬ 
listed men (oxce t of the os.ltnl Cor b) at schools and 


1. This . n 3 Peer .Utairal Victor Blue who served from larch £6, 
1912 to August 10, 1916* 




r 


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45 


stations And In vessels maintained fop that purpose; 
the upkeep and oration of the Naval Aoedemy, of technical 
schools for line officers, of the er>P«nticG-»cnaim 
establish enta, of schools for the technical education 
of enlisted ^n, ond of the :<av*l ; oue at P hiladelphia, 

»•; the upkeep un‘: the payment of the operating expenses 
of the iinvnl nr College; the enlistment, assignment to 
duty, and discharge of ell enliated arsons; it shall have 
under its direction the Division of ftnval lllltia Affairs, 
the hattonal hovel Volunteers, and the Imvel Reserve Forces, 
and shall p’ovide for th<* mobilize ion of nil these reserves. 

(2) It ahnll h*vc under its direction all rendezvous 
and receiving ships, and ehall provide transportation for 
all enlisted ersone under it a cognizance. 

(3) It ah* 11 establish the oorjplnaentaof all ships 
in eosmiission. 

(4) It ahnll keep tho records of service of nil 
officers p.n 4 men, end shall prepare an annual Nr.vy plater 
for publication, embodying therein data as to fleets, 
squadrons, and ahlpa which shell be furnished by the Chief 

of Naval <Jperntlons« ?o the end that it aap be bis to carry 
out tbs provisions of this paragraph, all co rrunicitions 
to or from ships in commission relating to the personnel 
of such ships shall be forwarded through this bur« au, 
vbnt ever their origin. 

(3) it shall be charged ith nil matters pertaining 
to applic- tion for appointments nnd commissions in the 
Navy and with the preparation of such sppointraents and 
coaszaissions for signature. 

(=;} it ahnll be charged with tho preparation, 
revision, and enforcement of all regulations governing 
uniform, end with the distribution of all orders and regu¬ 
lations of a L enor X or circular character. 

Navy obiiisifttion service 

n enormous expansion of naval personnel took place during 
orlc ar X. The v«l Appropriation ct of August 29, 1916 
authorized the expenditure of over 513 million dollars for naval 
construction, more than twice any previous appropriation, end the 
increase of the en' i te personnel fro® 50,500 to 74,700. At 
the outbreak of ^r on April 6, 1917 the nsvnl raonnel included, 
officer® — 4:66 tegular nvy, 877 *tvsl He servo oroe, 633 vOast 
OUsard, and 813 National fcavnl Volunteers; enlisted personnel — 
e ular Msvy 54,6. '>ro© 1109, Goa at u^rd 2478, 



£ 


46 


and Davel Militia 12,000,* In January 1917 there were 176 naval 
▼c a sale in commission. 8 

ioat of the additional personnel needed for the ear tine 
lievy were obtained through recruiting. The country was divided 
into four recruiting divisions as follows: ivastern Division 
with headquarters at hew York; Central Division with headquarters 
at Kansas City; ©stern Division with headquarters at inn 
Francisco and th© .southern Division with headquarters at hew 
Orleans. 1 2 3 Then© headquarters opened 70, 30, 34, end 31 
recruiting stations, res c-otivoly. Recruiting ceased on 
August 3, 1918 when enlistment* end enrollments were suspended. 

An act of Contraas approved August 31, 1918 extended select ive 
service to the Navy, end arrangements were made vitb the nr 
Department to obtain <ion through the draft.* To handle the 
induction of these saen, a ftnvy obiliaation Service wee organized. 
Fifteen of the former main recruiting stations were designated 
as main mobilization stations, and the remaining thirty-five as 
sub-mobilization stations, while 240 sub-recruiting stations *er© 
closed. There was so much congestion at training stations and 
cam; a, and eo many reservists waiting for call to active duty, 
that the calling of men under the new system was deferred, and as 
a result only IE, 493 mn were obtained under the selective service 
law. In early December 1918 voluntary enlistments n^ain became 


1 C. Li. Mry Department, nnual 'a ort , 1916, 1-2; 1919, 363, 

2 Ibid .. 1918, 433. 

3 l. o. bawl Inst, roc., XUIX (March 1917), 389. 






¥ 


f 


47 


the practice, * nd the Navy Nobiliantion service * >a abolished. 

The recruiting service mas thereupon reestablished. It has been 
administered since by the Recruiting Division, which has been at 
times a separate division (about 1980-1929) and at other times a 
section in the Enlisted ersonnol Division. 

Training Division 

The administration of the training during the orld nr 
of the enlisted personnel was placed in charge of the Training 
' ivieion in the Bureau of Navigation. The first officer at the 
head of this division was Capt. Ernest L« Bennett, sjUo reported 
for duty on April 19, 191?.* Throughout the war he superintended 
the huge task of providing training facilities nnd running them. 

At the opening of the war there were four remanent training 
stations at Newport, Norfolk, rent Lakes, and .inn Francisco with 

o 

a total capacity of 6,000 enlisted men.' These stations were 
expanded eightfold; temporary stations or barracks were constructed 
at are Island, uget Bound, New Orleans, Charleston, Philadelphia, 
Brooklyn, Boston, ortsmouth nnd Gulfport, Hiss.; and others for 
the Nnvftl Reserve Force at Boston, Bunk in Inland, he« port, Pelham 
Bay, Cape ay, Key eat, nn edro, and .cattle. Facilities nt 
~>an Francisco and ’enaneola were also utilised. A vast Naval 
Operating Base was established at an ton Roads, Ve. *hich was 
to bee >me the principal rendezvous for the fleet on the tlantic 
Coast. The facilities at the base included n large tr ining 


1 U. g. Navy Department, historical section, istory of the Training 
: ivisior., Bure u of .svigation, By rna t L. Bennett and Lewis it. 
Clephnno ( nahington, 1980), (in Office of -aval hcor la -nd 
library); office of the Ju^l.e ’.dvoente General, naval Exam ning 
Board Records of meet . Bennett. 

2 U. 8, nayy Depar.aent, nnual Report, 1917, 21, 422. 



<* 


f 


station. The Training Division also had responsibility for 
training and instructing enlisted mc-n for examination for com- 
missions. It had chnr^o of trs iniHt, on district vessels, at 
special schools, at naval rifle rentes, and of the nnval unite 
of the Students* Army Training Corps. 

The Tr*iininiii Division continued to form a pert of the 
Bureau of Davidstion after the war. From 1919 to about 19F2 
it was a section in the ‘nllated Personnel Division. In 
later years it was secret© and again it was under the 
iniisted Personnel Division. 

Chaplains Division 

Chaplains had been provided for the Davy since its 
beginning. Besides conducting divine services, they served 
as school masters. The number in the service was small prior 
to the orld nr; the total of twenty-four provided for in 
104? was not increased until 1914. At the outbreak of the 
war there mre fifty-nine and at its close 199. During 191? 
when the Chaplains Corps was und* r^oin^ a rapid expansion, 
the need for central administration was met by assigning a 
chaplain of many years* experience, Capt. John Brown Fraxier, 
as the first chief of the Chaplains Division in the Bureau of 
Deviation.* He ha charge of the selection of candidates pro¬ 
posed by the Federal Council of Churches in America representing 


1, D. 5. ,*avy Department, Annual .-ieport, 1918, 131s 388; 1919, 
388; 1920, 180; Edward A. Duff, The Char Inin Corns, P. D. Davy 
(n, 1936), 13. Frazier bti is an serving in this poet on November 
3, 191?, Cf. Office of the Judge Advocate General, . vnl 
Ixaraining Board Record of John B. Frn 2 ier. 






* 


r 








the iroteetant denominations and the Chaplains Bureau of the 
Catholic Church and general supervision of the Chaplains Corps, 
iromedia tely upon the conclusion of the ar more than .half of 
the chaplains resigned, leaving an insufficient number in th© 
service. In 19154 the ilavy Department Board on ^organization 
recommended n strength of seventy-six for th© corps, on! as a 
result the eighty which ©ore then in service were gradually re¬ 
duced. 

DemobiUnation 

Upon the conclusion of the arid nr the Burenu of naviga¬ 
tion undertook the considerable task of demobilising the per¬ 
sonnel of the fcavy, which then comprised over half a million 
sn'iated men and over 10,000 officers. «ot until January 1, 

1916 did th© vy offer the choice of on iataont for the dura¬ 
tion of the war, and only 45,000 men were ao enlisted. The 
laws were such that honorable discharges, which acre necessary 
in order to be eligible for the benefits shich Congress intended 
to enact for service men, could be given only to men aha com¬ 
pleted their terms of enlistment. 1 The co .ntry clamored for the 
release of the men, however, and the Bureau of navigation was 
compelled to allow them to go ao rapidly as possible. Beginning 
in Hovesber 1918 successive orders sere issued for th© release 
of men and by the end of July 1919 57,000 Regular Havy men and 
220,000 Reserves had been let go. 

At first the discharged and released men were i.iven their 
papers at a for ports chiefly on the Atlantic Coast, but it 


1 1.5. Navy department, Annual Report , 191B, 375-276. 




c. 


1 


50 


became necessary to establish deaobilination stations in t e 
interior of tbe country. rior to the passage of the not of 
February 28, 19X9 the Bureau of (invitation had no money with 
which to supply men ;ith travel funds for transportation to 
their hoj^es. At Ac* York «here many men hnd become stranded 
a transportation office was established to furnish them with 
funds. Experience showed tkr.t the cash travel allowance was 
frequently spent for something else. On April 1, 1919 the plan 
woe adopted of transferring men to demobilisation stations close 
to their homes. These stations were opened at ittsburgh, Pa., 
Atlanta, Georgia, iinneapoliB, ’inn., v>t. Louis, 4o., Dallas, Tex., 
Denver, Colo., and Salt Lake City, Utah, operating under the 
jurisdiction of the recruiting officer in those cities. This 
plan Of demobilisation worked very successfully. 

i>ixth Division 

The accomplishments of the Cosimiasion on Twining Camp 
Activities and other organisations during the lurid .nr and the 
period of demobilisation brought about the creation of the Sixth 
Division (Morale Division) in the Bureau of J4avi e stion in 1919.* 

, rior to that time there had bean no central agency in the Anvy 
Department for handling ant.era pertaining to the comfort, enter¬ 
tainment, nd recreation of men in the naval service, and ns a 
result the Navy was not up to the practices bein^ followed in 
bu iness. The Morale Division, as it came to be called in 1921, 
was composed of sections on the following activities; organixa- 

1 ' U. 3. Nfn^M;opertnws n t, Annual Report, 1919, 586, 94; 1920, 
556-557; Information from the Navy Department. 



































4 * 





» 


% 







/ 



tion of comnunities, services, religious, recreation, education, 
dramatic entertainments, motion picture, athletics, travel, 
lectures, end social hygiene, Aida for morale vert aaal^ned to 
shore stations and ships to carry on this work. It *aa trans¬ 
ferred in 1923 to the Training Division, and the Oixth Division 
wna discontinued.* 

Aviation Division 

To supply our naval aviation forces with astarological 

information, n naval serological a rvice *na established early 
£ 

in 1918. The function of purchasing aeronautical instruments 
was assigned to the Naval observatory because of lta experience 
with scientific instruments, its trained personnel, und its 
facilities. This work ©x:anded so rapidly during the orld nr 
that a Department of Aeronautical instruments was established in 
the Naval observetory to have charge of it. 

As a result of the adoption of the policy of oer^in& avia¬ 
tion activities with other naval activities, the Aviation Division 
of Naval Operations was abolished on u w ust 7, 1919 and Its duties 
distributed. To the Bureau of Navigation were assigned the train¬ 
ing and detail of personnel; photography; training of pigeons, 
aero^mphy, and navigation instruments for aircraft. 1 2 3 To assure 
the prop*r development of the pigeon work, photography, and aerol- 


1 i:, .mvy Directory, -arch 1, 1983, 168; 'ey 1, 1923, 164. 
Cspt. C. H. Train, who bad b*en chief of the Morale Division, be¬ 
came chief of the Training Division in which a tortile Section m a 

established* 

2 Frederick J. Nelson, "Th History of Aerology in the Navy," 

L. a*vnl Inst, --roc,, LX (April 1934), 5£3; f. J. O’Brien, "The 
Navy’s part in Modern -erolo&ioal Developments, ** 1. n, Naval In at. 
roc .. LXI (March 1935), 386. 

3 Bureau of Aeronautics, Oener 1 Files, 608-4, Inter-office memo¬ 
randum no. 11, Ohirf of -Naval Operations u 0 . 1, 1919; Memorandum, 

>4. 0. Benson, Au*,. 7, 1919; 






. <€ 



ogy, the Bureau of Navigation placed Lieut. Commander B. M. 
Griffin in oherge of the Aviation— Navigation and hotogr'iphic 
Division on Cctober ?, 1919.* This division, the name of ^hich 
woo aoon shortened to Aviation Division, provided a©rely for 
the supply and upkeep of pigeons; their operations at «ir sta¬ 
tions were handled by the Naval Com;unicetIons service of th© 
Office of the Chief of hav 1 Ope attone to which e pigeon offi¬ 
cer and the pigeon records ore attached, 

Cpon the establishment of the Bureau of Aeronautics on 
September 1, 192! to administer ell naval aviation activities 
cognizance of aerial photography and aerology were transferred 
to the bureau, 1 2 Lieut. Co render Griffin was also transferred. 
The «nvnl Observatory continued to furnish navigation and sero¬ 
logical instruments to the Bureau of Aeronautics until 1927, 
when the bureau took over this activity. 

riavy Action i icture Lxehange 

Efforts to procure satisfactory motion picture service by 
contracts having proved nnauceessful, the li&ry Motion icture 
Exchange was or^.nized at haw fork under the Bureau of Mnviga- 
tion in April 1920. 3 Dub-exchnn&es were established in a number 
of naval dietrifts and at outlying stations. 


1 Ibid ., 3084-2:1, Chief of the Bureau of Navigation to the 
Chief of Laval Operations, Oct. £3, 1919; Nelson, loo , c i t., 025. 
8 Ibid .. Circular letter no. 1, . A. ASoffctt, Aug. 16, 1921; 

602-4, -omorandusa for Director of i*«val Co a nmications, Oept. 1, 
1921; memorandum from Flight Division to the Chi*f of Bureau of 
Aeronautics, Oct. 18, 1921. 

3 U. B. Levy Department, nnual Report, 1920, 560; 1921, 32. 






mail and File Division 

In April 1920 the Sail and File Division mb established 
in chnr&e of Lieut. Comraender . D. Chandler, Jr., who had pre¬ 
viously had charge of tho siail doom.^ Tho function of this 
division son to handle the bureau’s moil and to file its 
records. 

iicvol Training stations 

Important developments in relation to novnl training sta¬ 
tions took place after the orld -«ar. The temporary stations 
constructed during the *or ere demobilized, end operations at 
the permanent stations arere reduced. The training station at 
th Norfolk Koval Bose, lina ton Hoods, Vo, displaced the old 
station at the Norfolk Levy Yard on :liznbeth River. 

The division of the American fleet In the sumaer of 1919 
into tho Atlantic Lleet one the Pacific Fleet necessitated the 
develop-cut of bases on the aoific Coast. An act of Congress 
approved July 11, 1919 utfoori&ed the Secretary of the i«vy to 
accept donations of land on ^an Diego Bey four and half miles 
north of the city of an Diego, California for naval purposes. 

The appropriation act for the fiscal year 1921 provided a million 
dollars for the erection of « permanent training station at an 
Disgo.^ The development of this site as a naval base correspond¬ 
ing to that at Hampton Loads on the Atlantic Coast was undertaken 
nd by 1920 a number of facilities was in operation. hen the 
trilling station was completed in 192L, it displaced the old 
station at Ann Francisco. Together «ith the export and Great 
Lakes linvsl 'fr inin* stations the stations at Dnapton Ho ds and 

1 a pr iVT," 'YSFT? 196; :ny 1, 1920, 192. 

2 U. ... P'vv Depart -is* nt, annual Report , 1920, 549. 





an Die&o have continued in operation to the present day. 


)5©nry }. Deere 


The National rehives 


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4 







LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



0 027 132 042 5 









